LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Regional Ministers: Oral Questions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House what plans she has to bring forward proposals for regional Ministers to respond to oral questions from hon. Members.

Helen Goodman: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 133W.

Written Questions

Bob Neill: To ask the Leader of the House if she will place in the Library a copy of the internal guidance given to civil servants and Ministers on the use of ministerial corrections; and in what cases an incorrect answer to a written parliamentary question should be corrected via  (a) a written ministerial statement and  (b) a ministerial correction.

Helen Goodman: A copy of the guidance requested was deposited in the Library to coincide with the written ministerial statement issued by my right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House on 18 October 2007 entitled "Corrections to the Official Report and publication of NDPB letters in Hansard".
	The guidance is also available on the Leader's office website:
	www.commonsleader.co.uk.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) on 3 July 2007,  Official Report, column 959W.

Official Engagements

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his official engagements were between 11 December 2007 and 13 January 2008.

Des Browne: Throughout the period 11 December 2007 to 13 January 2008, 1 had various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MoD and Scotland Office. On 11 December and 12 December, I had meetings with several families of troops who died on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. On 12 December I attended the Scotch Whisky Association reception in Dover House. On 14 and 15 December, I hosted a meeting in Edinburgh for the Defence and Foreign Ministers of nations contributing troops to NATO-led operations in southern Afghanistan. On 17 December I discussed the outcome of the Edinburgh meeting with the NATO Secretary General and also met Ross Kemp to discuss his recent visit to Afghanistan. On 18 December I met representatives from Serco Defence, Science and Technology. On 19 December I held a video conference with representatives of the independent panel set up by the Canadian Government to review their future role in Afghanistan (the Manley Panel). On 20 December, I took the salute at a passing out parade at the Army Training Regiment in Bassingbourn. On 3 and 4 January 2008, I visited Brussels for meetings with the UK ambassador to NATO and the UK delegation to the EU. On 5 January, I visited HQ Northern Ireland and was briefed by the General Officer Commanding. On 8 January, I had meetings with the Belgian Ambassador and with Lieutenant General Mohan al-Firaji, Commander of Iraqi security operations in Basra, following which I gave evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee on its inquiry into the future of NATO and European defence. On 10 January, I attended the House for a Defence debate on armed forces personnel. On 11 January, I hosted the pre-Budget report seminar in Edinburgh and visited the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow. On 12 January, I attended a meeting of the Executive of the Scottish Labour Party in Stirling.

Royal National Mod Festival

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in which years since 1997 the Prime Minister sent greetings to the annual Royal National Mod festival.

David Cairns: holding answer 17 December 2007
	Art and culture are matters devolved to the Scottish Executive and Scottish Ministers. However, the Prime Minister sent a hand-written note, in Gaelic, to the Royal National Mod last year and the Secretary of State for Scotland wrote in 2006.

Weather: Death

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on action to prevent excess winter deaths in Scotland in 2008.

David Cairns: I have regular discussion with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on a range of issues.
	In winter 2006-07 we made 1,028,120 winter fuel payments to people in Scotland. Figures are not yet available for this winter, but we expect the numbers to be similar.
	In addition, we are currently undertaking a fuel poverty partnership pilot with the energy industry which aims to increase the uptake of energy efficiency measures. The pilot is targeting 250,000 pensioners in receipt of pension credit throughout Great Britain, including 16,500 pensioners in Scotland alone.
	In the event of sustained freezing temperatures, eligible customers, generally those in receipt of income-related benefits, may be entitled to cold weather payments.

WALES

Fair Trade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods  (a) in staff catering facilities and  (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: My Department does not have staff catering facilities. Catering for functions and meetings in London and Cardiff includes, where possible and consistent with value for money, a mixture of fair trade or locally sourced produce.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the report of the Saville Inquiry to be published.

Shaun Woodward: The Tribunal are currently engaged in compiling their final report. The Tribunal have advised that it is not possible at this stage to give a precise indication of when the report will be submitted to me, due to the complexity and volume of evidence with which they are dealing. We are informed that the submission of the report is not imminent, and that recent media speculation that the report will be concluded in May 2008 has no basis in fact.

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry: Costs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of the Bloody Sunday inquiry to the public purse has been to date; when he expects the inquiry's final report to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The cost of the Saville Inquiry is £181.2 million (as of December 2007).
	The Tribunal are currently engaged in compiling their final report. The Tribunal have advised that it is not possible at this stage to give a precise indication of when the report will be submitted to me, due to the complexity and volume of evidence with which they are dealing. We are informed that the submission of the report is not imminent, and that recent media speculation that the report will be concluded in May 2008 has no basis in fact.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office has no record of any fines being paid by the Department. It is the Department's policy not to pay parking ticket or speeding fines issued to staff while using its vehicles.
	We are aware that one fixed penalty notice was issued and the fine of £60 was paid by the driver.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Coal

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the average cost of indigenous deep-mined coal per tonne in  (a) 1982,  (b) 1992 and  (c) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: According to British Coal records, the average operating cost per tonne of indigenous deep mined coal was £40.94 in 1982-83 and £38.33 in 1992-93.
	Following privatisation in 1994, equivalent information has not been collected centrally.
	Nevertheless, based on a published average operating cost of 1.56p per gigajoule for mines representing 87 per cent. of UK deep mine production in that year, it is estimated that in 2006 (the latest year for which this information is available) the operating cost of larger deep mines was in the order of £37.44 per tonne before exceptional items.

Internet: Fraud

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the extent of personal financial losses by consumers as a result of responses to fraudulent phishing emails which purport to originate from individual banks and financial service providers in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of fraudulent and spam phishing emails, which purported to originate from individual banks and financial service providers, sent to email addresses in the .uk domain in the last 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	Figures collated by APACS (the UK Payments Association) show that in 2006 there were 14,156 phishing incidents.
	APACS estimate that total losses for online banking fraud, which would include phishing along with other scams such as Trojans, amounted to 33.5 million in 2006. In many cases however these losses would be born by the financial institution rather than the consumer. In practice banks normally reimburse cardholders who have been genuine victims of online card fraud and have not been negligent with their card details, or acted fraudulently themselves.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for staff of the Commission in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of the Commission's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Alan Williams: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Public Accounts Commission.
	There has been no expenditure by the Commission on travel by its staff in the last 10 years.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much work-based learning is required in a programme-led apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: A Programme-led Apprenticeship (PLA) will deliver job skills, transferable skills and competence training and practice in an off-the-job setting prior to the apprentice moving into employment. The learner must spend a significant period of their learning in a work-based environment in employment in order to complete a full Apprenticeship.
	A PLA is by definition linked to an Apprenticeship, the content of which is designed by the relevant Sector Skills Council to meet a sector's need. However, a PLA is not a full Apprenticeship. PLAs are not included in published Apprenticeship statistics and a young person has to be employed before they are counted.

Further Education: Autism

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what arrangements his Department  (a) has in place and  (b) will have in place if the Education and Skills Bill is enacted to ensure the continuity of education and skills services provided to children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome as they make the transition to adulthood.

David Lammy: This Government are committed to improving provision and services for children and young people on the Autistic Disorder Spectrum. My Department is working closely with the Learning and Skills Council to identify existing provision and what needs to be put in place to ensure high quality and sufficiency to ensure continuity. All Learning and Skills Council Regions have completed analyses to identify current provision for all learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those on the Autistic Disorder Spectrum, and are developing plans for improving provision.
	We are also working closely with the Department of Health, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Work and Pensions on a raft of measures to improve provision and the transition to adulthood including those on the autistic disorder spectrum. These measures will anticipate the impact of changes needed over the next few years including the raising of the participation age as envisaged in the Education and Skills Bill.
	Measures include work on a common funding approach, plans for individual budgets, improved planning and commissioning and curriculum improvements. At the heart of these measures is greatly increased and effective partnership working as set out in the cross government strategy on learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities 'Progression through Partnership' published last year.
	A key partnership is the one we have established with the Autism Education Trust launched in November 2007 which will advise us on improvements needed in provision and work force development. We also expect to launch two key projects this year which will also feature autismGetting a Life focusing on what works for people with learning disabilities and the Transition Support Programme part of Aiming High for Disabled People.

Higher Education: Admissions

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will rank UK universities in order of in-take of state school students as a percentage of total in-take in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The information is shown in the following table. The figures show proportions of UK-domiciled young (aged under 21) entrants to full-time first degree courses at each higher education institution, who are from state schools over the period 2001/02 to 2005/06. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in 2008.
	There has been an overall increase in proportions of state school entrants across the whole of the higher education sector since the PIs were introduced in 1997. In fact the latest available figure of 86.9 per cent., for young full-time first degree entrants to English higher education institutions in 2005/06, is the highest ever.
	This information is taken from the annual Performance Indicators in Higher Education, which are currently published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
	For each institution, the state school proportion is shown against a benchmark. This is a sector average which is adjusted for each institution to take into account the following factors: subject of study, qualifications on entry and age on entry. The benchmarks can be used to show how a university is performing compared to the sector as a whole, and also help to determine whether a meaningful comparison can be drawn between two or more universities.
	The table includes the numbers of young entrants to each institution. From this it is clear that the number of students at each institution varies widely, and some have less than 100 students. Figures based on small numbers such as these should be treated with care.
	
		
			  Table 5: Proportion of UK-domiciled young entrants to full-time first degree courses who were from state schools, 2005/06 
			 Number of entrants  Percentage from state schools or colleges  Bench-mark (percentage) 
			 Total UK  87.4  
			 
			 Wimbledon School of Art 125 100.0 98.7 
			 UHI Millennium Institute 80 100.0 93.5 
			 St. Mary's University College 230 100.0 94.3 
			 Stranmillis University College 240 100.0 94.3 
			 University of Ulster 4,065 99.9 92.6 
			 University of Bedfordshire 685 99.6 96.3 
			 Bishop Grosseteste College 235 99.6 93.7 
			 The Queen's University of Belfast 3,325 99.5 84.3 
			 University of Derby 1,695 99.4 94.9 
			 Trinity College, Carmarthen 350 99.4 94.9 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 330 99.3 94.7 
			 The University of Bolton 570 99.2 95.7 
			 Cumbria Institute of the Arts 265 99.2 94.9 
			 The University of Wales, Newport 715 99.2 96.1 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 2,490 99.0 95.4 
			 The University of East London 1,260 98.7 95.7 
			 Norwich School of Art and Design 305 98.7 94.3 
			 The University of Teesside 1,500 98.5 94.8 
			 Middlesex University 2,370 98.2 95.4 
			 University of Glamorgan 1,760 98.2 94.3 
			 Bell College 345 98.2 94.0 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 1,330 98.1 94.7 
			 The Arts Institute at Bournemouth 435 98.0 97.3 
			 Edge Hill University 1,320 98.0 94.3 
			 London South Bank University 920 98.0 95.0 
			 St. Martin's College 890 98.0 93.3 
			 The University of Paisley 1,045 98.0 91.0 
			 The North-East Wales Institute of Higher Education 360 97.9 95.5 
			 The University of Chichester 730 97.8 94.0 
			 Liverpool Hope University 1,180 97.8 94.9 
			 Swansea Institute of Higher Education 585 97.8 95.5 
			 Staffordshire University 1,940 97.7 93.8 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 3,255 97.6 93.2 
			 University College Falmouth 565 97.5 96.8 
			 London Metropolitan University 2,015 97.5 94.1 
			 University of Chester 1,805 97.4 91.7 
			 University of Hertfordshire 3,650 97.4 93.8 
			 The University of Sunderland 1,585 97.4 94.6 
			 The University of Northampton 1,370 97.3 94.4 
			 The University of Greenwich 1,825 97.2 94.4 
			 University of Abertay Dundee 720 97.2 92.4 
			 Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College 990 97.1 95.5 
			 Coventry University 2,485 97.1 93.3 
			 University of Central England in Birmingham 2,350 97.0 93.4 
			 The University of Huddersfield 2,700 97.0 93.5 
			 The University of Lincoln 2,360 96.9 92.6 
			 University of Worcester 680 96.8 93.9 
			 The University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone, Rochester 1,305 96.7 97.1 
			 The University of Salford 2,270 96.7 92.0 
			 De Montfort University 3,760 96.6 93.5 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 175 96.6 97.3 
			 Glasgow Caledonian University 2,220 96.6 89.8 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 1,480 96.3 93.1 
			 Thames Valley University 855 96.2 96.3 
			 Southampton Solent University 2,080 96.0 94.4 
			 The University of Winchester 995 96.0 92.4 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 3,665 95.6 90.7 
			 College of St. Mark and St. John 470 95.5 94.9 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 4,150 95.5 91.1 
			 Bath Spa University 960 95.4 94.0 
			 Kingston University 3,380 95.0 92.6 
			 Writtle College 140 94.9 92.1 
			 The University of Westminster 2,640 94.7 93.2 
			 St. Mary's College 820 94.5 93.5 
			 Trinity and All Saints College 600 94.4 93.2 
			 The University of Essex 1,440 94.3 87.7 
			 University of Gloucestershire 1,430 94.3 93.0 
			 University of the Arts, London 1,440 94.3 91.8 
			 York St John University 1,075 94.3 91.9 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 6,020 94.0 91.4 
			 Roehampton University 1,660 94.0 93.0 
			 Napier University 1,055 94.0 91.3 
			 University of Wales, Bangor 1,485 93.9 89.7 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies 370 93.8 94.2 
			 The University of Bradford 1,500 93.8 92.0 
			 The University of Portsmouth 3,095 93.8 90.5 
			 University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 1,465 93.8 93.0 
			 Bournemouth University 2,270 93.5 91.6 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 3,980 93.5 92.7 
			 The Robert Gordon University 1,160 93.5 88.3 
			 Brunel University 2,265 93.3 90.5 
			 The University of Plymouth 3,100 93.0 90.1 
			 The University of Brighton 2,325 92.7 90.6 
			 The University of Wales, Lampeter 205 92.7 88.7 
			 University of Wales, Aberystwyth 1,855 92.6 88.4 
			 The University of Hull 2,315 92.5 88.0 
			 The University of Strathclyde 2,570 92.5 84.0 
			 University of Wales, Swansea 2,155 92.4 88.3 
			 Dartington College of Arts 170 92.2 93.8 
			 The University of Dundee 1,630 92.2 84.8 
			 The University of Keele 1,675 92.1 85.6 
			 Heriot-Watt University 995 92.1 86.7 
			 Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh 645 91.9 92.0 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 4,110 91.8 90.7 
			 Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 125 91.8 93.1 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 130 91.7 94.5 
			 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 3,510 91.7 90.4 
			 The University of Stirling 1,170 91.7 86.2 
			 The University of Kent 2,595 90.9 86.6 
			 The University of Lancaster 2,260 90.6 82.8 
			 The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama 135 89.2 95.7 
			 Aston University 1,645 89.0 86.8 
			 Rose Bruford College 160 88.9 92.8 
			 The University of Surrey 1,225 88.6 86.8 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 4,120 88.3 90.8 
			 Goldsmiths College 895 88.0 88.4 
			 The University of Leicester 1,855 87.9 81.5 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 205 87.7 92.5 
			 The University of East Anglia 1,935 86.5 82.8 
			 The University of Liverpool 3,495 86.4 82.2 
			 Leeds College of Music 200 86.3 90.1 
			 City University 1,315 85.9 89.0 
			 The University of Glasgow 3,190 85.7 80.9 
			 The University of Sussex 1,785 84.8 81.0 
			 Edinburgh College of Art 225 84.8 94.8 
			 Glasgow School of Art 215 84.6 86.6 
			 The University of Aberdeen 1,825 84.0 84.3 
			 Cardiff University 3,765 83.9 82.6 
			 The University of Sheffield 4,110 83.8 79.7 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 2,040 83.6 84.0 
			 The University of Reading 2,210 83.6 83.3 
			 Harper Adams University College 260 83.1 86.7 
			 Loughborough University 2,920 82.9 86.1 
			 The School of Pharmacy 125 82.8 85.9 
			 The University of Southampton 2,980 82.7 81.5 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 30 82.1 75.7 
			 The University of York 1,885 77.9 78.3 
			 The University of Manchester 5,515 77.7 80.2 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 265 77.1 75.7 
			 The University of Birmingham 4,165 76.5 80.6 
			 The Royal Veterinary College 275 76.3 71.0 
			 The University of Warwick 2,310 76.0 78.3 
			 The University of Bath 1,655 75.9 80.6 
			 Trinity Laban 120 75.0 94.2 
			 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 1,210 74.7 81.4 
			 The University of Leeds 5,835 74.2 81.4 
			 The University of Exeter 2,460 72.5 81.0 
			 Oxford Brookes University 2,330 71.3 87.9 
			 King's College London 2,155 70.3 79.0 
			 The School of Oriental and African Studies 420 70.1 78.5 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 3,710 68.4 80.3 
			 The University of Nottingham 4,200 66.1 78.6 
			 The University of Edinburgh 3,540 65.5 78.6 
			 The University of Bristol 2,845 65.1 77.0 
			 University College London 2,080 62.4 76.6 
			 University of Durham 3,195 61.8 78.9 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 1,295 61.3 77.3 
			 The University of St Andrews 1,100 60.9 77.3 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 575 59.4 76.0 
			 The University of Oxford 2,790 53.7 75.4 
			 Royal Academy of Music 45 47.7 89.8 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 40 42.9 72.6 
			 Royal Agricultural College 150 42.8 86.4 
			 The University of Cambridge(1)
			 Royal College of Music(1) 65   
			 Royal Northern College of Music(1) 110   
			 (1) 2005/06 figures are not available for these institutions  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Vocational Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of people who have started training under Train to Gain successfully completed a course in the last period for which figures are available.

David Lammy: Train to Gain is a service specifically designed to give employers access to the advice and support they need to help them identify and then meet the skills their businesses need to succeed. It was launched in April 2006. Up until November 2007, the latest period for which figures are available, the Train to Gain service reports that 317,010 people have started a programme of learning and 153,300 have thus far successfully completed their learning activity, including over 131,00 full level 2s. However it would be misleading to simply use these output measures to calculate a percentage or success rate because many learners are still working to complete their course and new people are starting learning programmes through Train to Gain every day. DIUS and LSC officials are working to establish a sound methodology to enable a true success rate to be derived once sufficient data have been collected. This will be published as soon as it becomes available.

Vocational Training: Private Sector

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will take steps to ensure skills accreditation gained from training programmes run by private sector businesses in England are recognised in  (a) Northern Ireland,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Wales.

David Lammy: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is currently piloting approaches to accrediting the training of employers in England. QCA will advise Ministers of the best way forward in spring 2008 and this will inform discussion with Ministers of the Devolved Administrations on implementing the proposals more widely.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Building Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how the Commission defines building projects which are  (a) small works,  (b) minor works,  (c) standard contracts and  (d) other categories.

Nick Harvey: Building projects are defined as follows: less than 25,000small works; 25,000 to 250,000minor projects; greater than 250,000major projects. All work is carried out under contracts. These are grouped as: lump sum contracts; consultants' commission contracts; term contracts; and jobbing contracts. Lump sum contracts are let with the main contractor for a specific project. Consultants' commissions may be let for a specific project, though it is more likely that a consultant from a framework agreement would be used. Framework agreements can be let for any of the types of contract mentioned and have been let so far mainly for consultancies such as project management, architecture, engineering and quantity surveying. Special term contracts are let for planned maintenance such as lifts or grounds maintenance. Measured term contracts are let for carrying out small electrical, mechanical or building works. Jobbing contracts are used for one-off small works.

Visitor Reception Building

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Southend West (Mr. Amess) of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1246W on the Parliament Visitors' Centre, how much of the additional cost is due to  (a) variations to the brief and  (b) contractors' additional preliminaries; when the contract was finally handed over to the House; and how many of the additional weeks required have been due to (i) contractors' delays, (ii) exceptional inclement weather and (iii) client requirements or delays.

Nick Harvey: The building was handed over to both Houses on 20 December 2007. A review is being undertaken on behalf of the House of Commons Commission on the management of the project. The review will include the issues raised by the hon. Member. Once the review has been considered by the Commission I will be able to comment further.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Family Support

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support the Government provide for families of service personnel who are on operational duty.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The single services each maintain extensive welfare support networks for families which include welfare staff at unit level, service welfare agencies and specialist support organisations such as Families Federations. There are also online information portals, discussion forums and HIVE information centres. These are available at all times but retain a strong focus on providing support when the service person is deployed.
	The communication element of the Deployment Welfare Package and various allowances paid to deployed personnel also benefit families and allow them to keep in regular touch with the deployed family members. In addition, the immediate family of accompanied regular service personnel deployed on operations receive assisted travel to benefit from the support of other family members. The services publish handbooks, such as the army Guide for Families of Regular Personnel Deployed on Operations, and make welfare funds available for commanders to deliver local solutions over and above what is routinely available. These include internet access, briefings and hardship grants.

Armed Forces: Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel received specialist pay for  (a) flying,  (b) diving,  (c) submarine,  (d) nuclear propulsion,  (e) submarine escape tank training,  (f) hydrographics,  (g) mountain leadership,  (h) parachutes and  (i) high altitude parachutes in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The information required from 1997 to 2000 is not held centrally and the detailed breakdown requested for 2001 to 2007 can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following table shows the total number of personnel in each service in receipt of specialist pay since 2001.
	
		
			   Army  Navy  RAF  Total 
			 2007 3,859 7,328 4,636 15,823 
			 2006 4,514 6,890 4,362 15,766 
			 2005 6,161 6,872 4,596 17,629 
			 2004 5,334 6,871 4,549 16,754 
			 2003 5,772 6,232 4,685 16,689 
			 2002 4,687 5,613 4,450 14,750 
			 2001 4,772 6,651 4,187 15,610

Armed Forces: Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Government take to ensure the education of army personnel's children is taken into account when deciding to move personnel  (a) within the UK and  (b) overseas.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The MOD offers a number of ways to help parents ensure that their children's education does not suffer as a result of family moves. Although operational requirements come first, the Service Assigning Authorities make every effort to take into account individual preferences for location and timing, especially in relation to the school calendar. Where assignments fall during a key educational stage, service personnel may retain family accommodation at the current location in order to provide continuity of schooling.
	Our well regarded Children's Education Advisory Service offers advice on all educational matters and direct assistance on admissions appeals and special educational needs matters. For families moving to or within England, the schools Admissions Code makes consideration of the needs of service children a statutory requirement. For those moving overseas, educational arrangements are made through the Service Children's Education (SCE) Agency.
	Continuity of education allowance is available to Service families that decide that the continuity offered by boarding schools is the best option for their children.

Army: Recruitment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the target is for recruitment of infantry soldiers over the next 12 months.

Derek Twigg: The target for the recruitment of infantry soldiers for the financial year 2008-09 is 5,336.

Baha Mousa

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1403W, on Baha Mousa, if he will now  (a) make a public apology for the death of Baha Mousa in British custody and  (b) make a statement about the circumstances of Baha Mousa's death.

Des Browne: In my answer of 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1403W, I said that the death of Mr. Mousa was a matter of deep regret to the Ministry of Defence. As I explained in my written ministerial statement of 25 January 2008,  Official Report, column 66WS, the next step is to consider what form any future inquiry should take. I have agreed to receive representations from the legal representatives of Mr. Mousa's family and I will make a further statement when a decision has been made.

Berlin Airlift

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

Derek Twigg: We are in contact with the Berlin Airlift Association and are beginning discussions with them on how we can contribute to events to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the end of the Berlin Airlift in 2009. I expect to be able to provide further details to the House towards the end of this year.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: Details of all departmental expenditure on advertising cannot be provided for all the years sought or in the format requested because the information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The combined departmental costs on armed forces recruitment advertising and veterans awareness advertising since financial year 2003-04 were as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year   million  Percentage of defence expenditure 
			 2003-04 16.648 0.05 
			 2004-05 26.195 0.08 
			 2005-06 29.256 0.09 
			 2006-07 32.483 0.10 
		
	
	Civilian staff are recruited locally; the information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	It should be noted that the above figures take no account of departmental marketing costs.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of freedom of information requests received by his Department since the entry into force of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 originated from  (a) parliamentarians,  (b) businesses,  (c) academies and  (d) media sources.

Derek Twigg: The total number of freedom of information requests received by the Department since the Act came into force in 2005, until the end of September 2007, is 10,104. Of these requests, and where the occupation of the applicant was stated:
	1.6 per cent. were received from parliamentarians;
	9 per cent. from business;
	4.4 per cent. from academics and
	17.8 per cent. from media sources.

Nurseries

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many crches there were on Ministry of Defence estates  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: Although the exact information requested is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to collate, there are at least 60 crches in the UK, and more than 50 overseas.
	Some of these are financed by the Department, while privately financed facilities exist elsewhere.

Olympic Games 2012: Aldershot

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the rescheduling of work at Aldershot military barracks for the British Olympic shooting team will affect the timescale for work to be carried out on other units and barracks.

Derek Twigg: The capital works being undertaken at Aldershot Garrison are not for the benefit of the British Olympic Association but for service personnel. The rescheduling of the programme for new single living accommodation means that the new accommodation will be available for use by soldiers some three months early. This work is already planned to be completed by 2012 and advancing it slightly will have no adverse effect on works at Aldershot, or elsewhere.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

1 Carlton Gardens

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the official ministerial residence of 1 Carlton Gardens became unoccupied following the departure from it of the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett).

Meg Munn: 1 Carlton Gardens became unoccupied on 16 October 2007.

Afghanistan: Administration of Justice

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Italian counterpart in his capacity under Italy's role as lead nation for justice reform in Afghanistan on the recent death sentence handed down to Sayed Pervez Kambaksh in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: Our Embassy in Kabul has regular contact with Italian counterparts with regard to justice issues, notably because they are the G8 lead partner for justice reform. In this particular case, the UK and Italy have agreed to work through EU and UN channels.

Afghanistan: Diplomatic Relations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he was informed in advance of the decision by the Afghan Government to expel a British diplomat working for the UN and an Irish diplomat working for the EU.

Kim Howells: Michael Semple, an Irish national working for the EU, and Mervyn Patterson, a British national working for the UN, left Afghanistan on 27 December 2007, having been asked to do so 48 hours earlier by the Government of Afghanistan. The Afghan Foreign Minister held a meeting to inform a number of European embassies, including our embassy in Kabul, of this decision on 25 December 2007.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress the counter narcotics police of Afghanistan, the Afghan special narcotics force and the counter narcotics criminal justice task force are making in tackling the production and distribution of drugs in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: From January to October 2007, mobile detection teamspart of the counter narcotics police of Afghanistanmade 135 separate seizures, which totalled 1,916 kilograms of opium, 2,629 kilograms of cannabis, 67 kilograms of diamorphine and 4,068 kilograms of precursor chemicals. A recent operation at Kabul airport led to the arrest of a significant target who was sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2007, the criminal justice task force secured 278 narcotics convictions.
	The Afghan special narcotics Force (ASNF) continues to make progress in tackling drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan. In 2007 the ASNF undertook 42 operations, including in support of UK forces in Musa Qala. Activity in 2007 led to 15 detentions and the seizure of 11,500 kilograms of opiates and 254 kilograms of heroin. The ASNF is also able to target and destroy narcotics laboratories, having a disruptive effect on key trafficking networks. Its capability continues to grow and is capable of deployment throughout Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding for anti-narcotics activity in Afghanistan the UK is providing in 2007-08; and what progress is being made by the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund.

Kim Howells: The Afghan drugs interdepartmental unit (ADIDU) is located in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), with officials from the FCO, the Department for International Development (DFID), the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs. ADIDU is providing 43.8 million in direct funding for its counter narcotics programme in Afghanistan in 2007-08. Separately, DFID expects to spend 34 million in 2007/08 on developing rural livelihoods.
	The Counter Narcotics Trust Fund's (CNTF) focus has shifted from funding individual projects generated in Kabul to financing cohesive counter-narcotics programmes that meet provincial needs and reflect local ownership. Disbursements from the CNTF to relevant line ministries, to fund the counter narcotics components of provincial development plans, are expected to begin within the next two months. There is still a risk of low disbursement from the line ministry or at the provincial level, but our embassy in Kabul's strengthening counter-narcotics institution project is working with the CNTF and UN agencies to support skills building in relevant institutions to ensure disbursement rates improve.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many hectares of poppies were grown in Afghanistan in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; and how many (i) tonnes of opium were seized, (ii) people were arrested and (iii) facilities were destroyed in each of these years.

Kim Howells: The figures provided in the following table are based on operations conducted by the Afghan special narcotics forces and the counter narcotics police of Afghanistan.
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Opium poppy cultivationhectares (from United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime Annual Opium Surveys) 104,000 165,000 193,000 
			 Opium seized (tonnes) Opiates: 78.61 Heroin: 3.19 Opiates: 55.41 Heroin: 5.73 Opiates: 42.35 Heroin: 2.88 
			 People arrested 317 707 967 
			 Facilities destroyed 321 228 318

Afghanistan: Drugs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what co-ordination of anti-narcotics policy is taking place between the Afghan Government, the US Operation Enduring Freedom military HQ Kabul, NATO Operations Plan and the British embassy drugs team in Kabul.

Kim Howells: The Government of Afghanistan leads on coordinating and implementing counter-narcotics strategy in Afghanistan. The UK, as Afghanistan's G8 partner nation on counter narcotics, works extremely closely with the Afghan Government on its counter-narcotics policy. Our embassy in Kabul's counter narcotics team conducts capacity-building work within the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and helps implement the Afghan Government's national drug control strategy nationwide. In addition, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) troops are mandated to provide support to Afghan-led counter narcotics operations. Head Quarters-International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) co-ordinates the NATO forces operations and deconflicts them from Operation Enduring Freedom activities. The Government of Afghanistan chairs counter-narcotics meetings which the UK and US embassies, and ISAF attend.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Afghan national drugs control strategy has changed since it was launched by President Karzai in January 2006; what the UK's current role in the strategy is; and whether Her Majesty's ambassador has observer status on the Afghan Cabinet Sub-Committee on Counter Narcotics.

Kim Howells: The UK funded a review of the Afghan Government's national drugs control strategy (NDCS) and the institutional framework supporting it in the summer of 2007. The review recommended a greater focus on implementation of the NDCS in the provinces. As a result, the Afghan Government has developed, with UK support, a new provincial strategy. It centres on giving provinces responsibility for devising their own counter-narcotics plans, in support of national counter-narcotics priorities. This provincial approach conforms to the NDCS and ensures counter narcotics will be better embedded into the full range of Afghan Government development and rule of law initiatives.
	The UK's role in the strategy is to support the Afghan Government to implement its NDCS, and lobby for continued and increased international assistance. Our ambassador in Kabul has observer status on the Afghan Cabinet Sub-Committee on Counter Narcotics.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which date he informed President Karzai or the Afghan Government that Lord Ashdown was being considered for a role by NATO.

Kim Howells: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon was not proposed for any North Atlantic Treaty Organization role. He was proposed by the United States of America for appointment by the UN Secretary-General as his Special Representative in Afghanistan.

Diplomatic Service: Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the salary band is of a grade one locally engaged commercial officer.

Meg Munn: Salaries for local staff, including grade one commercial officers, are governed by HM Treasury rules. These determine that salaries are set at levels sufficient to recruit, retain and motivate, with respect to market forces in the country in which they are employed.
	This information is not held centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to collate.

European Council: Government

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the order of procedure to be followed when the Heads of Government and the President of the European Council attend the same function; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Article 1(16)(6) of the Treaty of Lisbon sets out the broad role of the President of the European Council. There have not yet been discussions on the detail.

European External Action Service

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the staff complement required by the proposed European external action service, broken down by grade; and what estimate he has made of the organisation's likely total annual salary costs.

Jim Murphy: The Lisbon Treaty provides for a European External Action Service (EEAS) which will bring together staff currently working on external issues in the European Council Secretariat and the European Commission, along with secondees from EU member states.
	There have not yet been any discussions on the detailed organisation and functioning of the EEAS.

European External Action Service

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) assessment he has made of and  (b) representations he has received on the duties and responsibilities of the proposed European external action service.

Jim Murphy: The Lisbon Treaty provides for a European External Action Service (EEAS) which will bring together staff currently working on external issues in the European Council Secretariat and the European Commission, along with secondees from EU member states.
	The function of the EEAS will be to support the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, whose responsibilities are defined in the Lisbon Treaty.

European Union: Diplomatic Service

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) UK-based and  (b) locally-engaged staff were employed by the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union in each of the last 10 years.

Meg Munn: holding answer 1 February 2008
	The number of staff working at the Office of our Permanent Representative to the European Union for the past three years is set out in the table as follows.
	
		
			  January  UK based  Locally engaged 
			 2006(1) 118 53 
			 2007 91 52 
			 2008 95 55 
			 (1) The figure for 2006 includes temporary reinforcements for the UK Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2005. To compile data on the staffing levels at our Permanent Representation to the EU, prior to 2005-06 would incur disproportionate costs.

Falkland Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of  (a) UK relations with Argentina and  (b) the situation in the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK values its relationship with Argentina as an important international partner. We have a close and productive relationship on a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, including human rights, sustainable development and counter-proliferation. We are keen to establish a constructive relationship with the new Argentine Government on South Atlantic issues and believe we have much to gain from working together.
	However, the Argentine sovereignty claim to the Falkland Islands casts a shadow over the bilateral relationship. The UK has no doubts about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. We support the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination and will not discuss sovereignty unless and until they so wish. The UK has good relations with the Falkland Islands' Government, which has continued to develop and diversify its economy over recent years, particularly in the areas of fisheries, renewable energy and tourism. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, visited the Islands from 3 to 5 January and took the opportunity to assure the Falkland Islands Government of the Government's commitment to their self-determination and economic development.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what objectives he has set for the UK's participation in the Norwegian initiative on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Kim Howells: The United Kingdom is using its participation in the Norwegian Seven Country Initiative, in parallel with a wide range of other bilateral and multilateral activity, to build international consensus for strengthening the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The United Kingdom will take part in a Seminar on Nuclear Disarmament to be hosted by the Government of Norway in Oslo on 26-27 February 2008.

Pacific Islands: Diplomatic Service

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the level of UK diplomatic representation is in each of the Pacific Island countries.

Meg Munn: The UK has full, sovereign diplomatic representation in three Pacific Island countries: Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The other Pacific Island countries are accredited to our posts in Fiji, the Philippines and New Zealand. Our High Commissions in Canberra and Wellington support the Pacific network.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1284W, on child maintenance, what plans there are for new IT systems for the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission; what steps he plans to take to monitor the effective implementation of such systems; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to  (a) involve and  (b) consult staff employed by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission on the commissioning and monitoring process for new IT systems.

James Plaskitt: Subject to parliamentary approval, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will become operational in 2008. As a non-departmental public body, it will be for the Commission to determine whether to introduce new IT systems. Should it decide to introduce a new IT system, we will of course wish to keep track of progress towards its successful delivery through the arrangements we will put in place to monitor the performance of the Commission.

Community Care: Prisoners Release

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people leaving Armley Prison received a community care grant in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
	Jobcentre Plus employment and benefit surgeries in prisons, including Armley Prison, focus on offenders' needs both upon induction and pre-release from prison. Jobcentre Plus advisers run the surgeries, working alongside Prison Service and other agency staff. The advisers also provide prisoners with information about welfare benefits and social fund community care grants and loans in order to reduce the finance gap prisoners can face on release.

Incapacity Benefit

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each region claiming incapacity benefits experienced  (a) alcoholism,  (b) drug abuse,  (c) depression and  (d) other long-term mental conditions and problems in each year since 2002; and what proportion of total incapacity benefits claimants each category represented in each region.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 22 January 2008
	 The information has been placed in the Library.

New Deal For 25 Plus

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the intensive activity period stage (self employment option) went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (1) two weeks, (2) three months, (3) six months and (4) one year of leaving the programme in each year since 1997 for which information is available;
	(2)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the intensive activity period stage (basic skills and employability training option) went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (1) two weeks, (2) three months, (3) six months and (4) one year of leaving the programme in each year since 1997 for which information is available;
	(3)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the intensive activity period stage (education and training opportunities option) went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support, ( e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (1) two weeks, (2) three months, (3) six months and (4) one year of leaving the programme in each year since 1997 for which information is available;
	(4)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the Intensive Activity Period stage (training option) went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (1) two weeks, (2) three months, (3) six months and (4) one year of leaving the programme in each year since 1997 for which information is available;
	(5)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the Intensive Activity Period stage (other option) went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefits incapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (1) two weeks, (2) three months, (3) six months and (4) one year of leaving the programme in each year since 1997 for which information is available;
	(6)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the pre-gateway stage went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (i) two weeks, (ii) three months, (iii) six months and (iv) one year of leaving the programme for which information is available in each year since 1997;
	(7)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the gateway stage went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and (i) off benefits unknown destination within  (i) two weeks, (ii) three months, (iii) six months and (iv) one year of leaving the programme for which information is available in each year since 1997;
	(8)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the intensive activity period stage went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (i) two weeks, (ii) three months, (iii) six months and (iv) one year of leaving the programme for which information is available in each year since 1997;
	(9)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the intensive activity period stage (work experience/placement option) went into  (a) employment,  (b) employment and benefits,  (c) benefitsjobseeker's allowance,  (d) benefitsincome support,  (e) benefitsincapacity benefit,  (f) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit,  (g) benefitsother/unknown benefits,  (h) other known destination and  (i) off benefits unknown destination within (i) two weeks, (ii) three months, (iii) six months and (iv) one year of leaving the programme in each year since 1997 for which information is available;
	(10)  how many New Deal for 25 plus (ND25+) participants who left the ND25+ at the follow through stage whose last option was  (a) employment,  (b) basic skills and employability training,  (c) self-employment,  (d) education and training opportunities and  (e) work experience/placements went into (i) employment, (ii) employment and benefits, (iii) benefitsjobseeker's allowance, (iv) benefitsincome support, (v) benefitsincapacity benefit, (vi) benefitsincome support and incapacity benefit, (vii) benefitsother/unknown benefits, (viii) other known destination and (ix) off benefits unknown destination within (1) two weeks, (2) three months, (3) six months and (4) one year of leaving the programme in each year since 1997 for which information is available.

Stephen Timms: The available requested information has been placed in the Library.

New Deal For 25 Plus

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people participated in the New Deal for 25 plus in the  (a) pre-gateway,  (b) gateway,  (c) intensive activity period (i) employment, (ii) basic employability and skills training, (iii) self-employment, (iv) educational and training opportunities, (v) work experience/placements, (vi) training, (vii) other options and  (d) follow through in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people participated in the New Deal for Young People in the  (a) pre-gateway,  (b) gateway,  (c) voluntary sector option,  (d) environmental taskforce option,  (e) full-time education and training option,  (f) employment option and  (g) follow-through stage in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The available information has been placed in the Library.

New Deal Schemes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) on-flow and origin,  (b) off-flow and destination and  (c) stock figures for people participating in (i) the New Deal for over-50s, (ii) the New Deal for Lone Parents, (iii) the New Deal for Young People, (iv) the New Deal for over-25s, (v) the New Deal for Disabled People, (vi) the New Deal for Partners, (vii) Pathways to Work Pilot schemes, (viii) employment zones and (ix) Local Employment Partnerships were in each of the last 36 months for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 12 November 2007
	Local employment partnerships (LEPs) are not a programme in which people participate; they are an agreement between employers and Jobcentre Plus to work together to enable employers to recruit in ways which give a fair chance to applicants from the most disadvantaged groups of jobless people. Information on the on-flow and origin, off-flow and destination, and stock figures for people participating in LEPs is thus not available.
	The available remaining requested information has been placed in the Library.

Occupational Pensions

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of employers who do not offer occupational pension schemes.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is presented as follows:
	
		
			  Provision of occupational pension scheme by size of firm 
			  Percentage 
			  Number of employees in firm  Occupational scheme  Any provision 
			 1-4 5 31 
			 5-12 6 55 
			 13-19 13 82 
			 20-49 8 90 
			 50-99 20 94 
			 100-499 21 96 
			 500 plus 62 96 
			 All 6 44 
			 All 5 or more 8 65 
			  Notes: 1. Pension provision includes occupational schemes, Group Personal Pensions, Stakeholder Pensions (including schemes with no members and/or no contributions) and firms that contribute to Personal Pensions. 2. All figures are estimates taken from the Employers' Pension Provision Survey. 2005 is the latest year published. The coverage of the survey is private sector employers in Great Britain. 3. Stakeholder pensions were introduced in April 2001, and from October 2001 employers with five or more employees and no other pension provision were required to provide access to Stakeholder pensions.

Pension Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of savings disregard was when pension credit was first introduced; what its level was at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what its level would be if the disregard had been revised in line with  (a) prices and  (b) earnings.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 17 December 2007
	Pension credit was introduced in October 2003.
	The capital disregard at that time was 6,000 for a single pensioner or a pensioner couple and 10,000 for a pensioner living in a care home.
	Had the disregard been up-rated by prices, the 6,000 capital disregard would now be set at 6,766 and the 10,000 disregard would be set at 11,277.
	Had the disregard been up-rated by earnings, the 6,000 capital disregard would be set at 7,012 and the 10,000 disregard would be set at 11,687.
	There is no requirement in social security legislation to review the value of the capital disregards in income-related benefits in the same way that there is for weekly benefit amounts. The capital disregards are not, therefore, routinely up-rated.
	At least 80 per cent. of pension credit recipients have less than 6,000 capital. So any changes would not benefit the majority of existing recipients or those currently eligible (around 80 per cent. of those eligible for pension credit also have capital below the current capital disregard.)
	 Notes:
	1. All figures are given in nominal terms.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
	3. The Earnings Index used is a three month (May to July) seasonally adjusted average of earnings for the whole economy including bonuses. The index is provided by the Office for National Statistics.
	4. The prices index used is the RPI September value, as it is the most up to date. The index is provided by the Office for National Statistics.

Pensions Forecasts

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who have received pension forecasts in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pensions  f orecasts 1996  to  2008 
			   Total 
			 1996-97 574,817 
			 1997-98 562,542 
			 1998-99 518,897 
			 1999-2000 527,135 
			 2000-01 593,857 
			 2001-02 675,976 
			 2002-03 768,302 
			 2003-04 2,905,751 
			 2004-05 6,088,848 
			 2005-06 12,931,712 
			 2006-07 10,674,729 
			 2007-08 2,155,293 
			 Total 38,977,859 
			  Note s : 1. The 2007-08 figure is up to the end of October 2007.  2. The figures include all types of forecasts issued by The Pension Service within a particular year, i.e. Individual Pension forecasts, Real-Time Pension Forecasts, Combined Pension Forecasts and Automatic Pension Forecasts where applicable.  3. The increase in figures from 2003-04 to 2006-07 is as a result of 16,981,007 automatic pension forecasts being issued. The Pension Service suspended issuing these types of forecasts in November 2006, when all the customers for whom valid contact details were available, had received a forecast.   Source:  Pension Centre Forecasting Systems.

Social Security Benefits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of people terminating their jobseeker's allowance claim after  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) 12 months and  (d) two years of claiming the benefit were in receipt of (i) jobseeker's allowance, (ii) income support and (iii) incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance (A) up to six months, (B) between six and 12 months and (C) more than 12 months after leaving the benefit in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of people terminating their incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claim after  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) 12 months and  (d) two years of claiming the benefit were in receipt of (i) jobseeker's allowance, (ii) income support and (iii) incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance (A) up to six months, (B) between six and 12 months and (c) more than 12 months after leaving benefit in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of people terminating their income support claim after  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) 12 months and  (d) two years of claiming the benefit were in receipt of (i) jobseeker's allowance, (ii) income support and (iii) incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance (A) up to six months, (B) between six and 12 months and (c) more than 12 months after leaving benefit in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Unemployment: Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the economic cost of youth unemployment in the latest year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: Since 1997, the number of 18 to 24-year-olds claiming jobseeker's allowance has fallen by two fifths and those with six months plus durations is down by more than 75 per cent. This has contributed to a 5 billion fall in the cost of unemployment-related benefits compared to a decade ago.
	The number of young people staying on in education has continued to rise since 1997 and the Government are planning to raise the learning participation age to 18. In addition, through policies such as New Deal, the Government has sought to improve labour market outcomes for all those who can face problems in finding and progressing in work, including young people.

Written Questions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer question 162346, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 6 November, on national insurance numbers.

James Plaskitt: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 193W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Flood Control

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial assistance is available to farmers to enable them to clear ditches and other watercourses for which they are responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 31 January 2008
	The flood risk operating authorities (Environment Agency, local authorities and, in areas of special drainage need, internal drainage boards) undertake prioritised programmes of maintenance work on watercourses, including cleaning and dredging where appropriate. Otherwise responsibility for clearance lies with the land owner.
	Total central and local government spend on management of flood and coastal erosion risk will be some 600 million this year, rising incrementally to 800 million in 2010-11. This is invested primarily in works on the ground carried out by the aforementioned operating authorities.

Carbon Offsetting Fund

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund has awarded to offsetting or renewable energy projects in the UK in each year since inception.

Phil Woolas: The Government have not funded any UK based projects via the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund.

Climate Change: Finance

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding has been provided by his Department for programmes run by  (a) central Government,  (b) local authorities,  (c) other public bodies and  (d) non-governmental organisations to (i) mitigate and (ii) assist adaptation to climate change; and how much was spent on such programmes in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA has provided funding for various programmes run by central Government, local authorities, other public bodies and non-governmental organisations to mitigate and assist adaptation to climate change.
	I will arrange for full details of this funding to be placed in the House Libraries.

Flood Control: Coastal Areas

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the value of assets  (a) dependent in 2008 and  (b) which will be dependent in 2028 on the retention and maintenance of existing sea defences between Pagham and East Head.

Phil Woolas: The economic assessment within the Pagham and East Head Coastal Defence Strategy is being developed by the Environment Agency in accordance with DEFRA project appraisal guidance and the Treasury Green Book. This assesses the damage avoided by protecting existing assets from flooding and coastal erosion. By 2108, without maintenance of all the existing defences, it is estimated that damage in the order of 334 million (at today's prices) would occur. This figure is not the same as the total value of assets, nor does it include damage to non-housing infrastructure, for which no figures are available.
	In terms of total asset value and based upon the work completed to date, there are currently 1,028 residential properties at risk of flooding, with an estimated value of around 250 million. Due to sea level rise, this figure is expected to increase to 1,230 properties by 2028 and 3,960 properties by 2108. These equate to estimated values of 300 million in 2028 and 960 million in 2108 at today's prices.

Flood Control: Finance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the UK received from the EU for flood prevention measures in each of the last 20 years.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency has received 5.9 million from the European Union for flood risk management work (including flood defences) over the last 20 years and will continue to look at the possibility of applications to the European Union for flood defence. Flood risk management is a devolved matter and information from the Environment Agency relates to England and Wales only.

Flood Control: Finance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent from the public purse in dealing with  (a) flood recovery and  (b) repair of flood damage in Gloucestershire in 2007.

Phil Woolas: The Department for Communities and Local Government is leading co-ordination of the wider Government flood recovery effort to help communities return to normality following the flooding last summer. To date, 14.8 million has been awarded by various Government Departments to councils within Gloucestershire to support their recovery efforts.
	The Environment Agency's estimated annual spend in Gloucestershire on controlling development, flood warning and awareness, flood risk mapping, maintenance of flood defences and watercourses is 1.5 million. The Environment Agency has spent an estimated extra 400,000 in Gloucestershire since the summer floods of 2007 on flood recovery, data collection, watercourse maintenance and repairs to flood defence assets.

Flood Control: Finance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase funding for the Environment Agency for flood prevention.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA grant in aid to the Environment Agency for flood risk management has increased significantly in recent years and currently stands at 436 million for 2007-08. Total central and local government spend for flood and coastal erosion risk management across all operating authorities (Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards) will increase to a minimum of 650 million in 2008-09, 700 million in 2009-10 and 800 million in 2010-11 but specific allocations within these totals have not yet been finalised.

Floods

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place the Environment Agency's flood mapping data in the public domain for use without charge.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency's flood mapping data, which provide information on flood risk from rivers and the sea, is already publicly available on the internet. Additional flood mapping data and flood defence information are available from the Environment Agency in response to requests for access, subject to the Environment Agency's standard licence terms and conditions.

Floods

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1493W, on floods, on which regional boundaries the  (a) regional flood defence committees and  (b) regional flood risk appraisals are based.

Phil Woolas: Regional Flood Defence Committee boundaries are based on hydrological catchment boundaries, with the exception that the westerly boundaries of the Regional Flood Defence Committees adjoining Wales follow the boundary between England and Wales.
	Similarly, strategic level flood risk assessments are undertaken by river catchment rather than by regional boundary. The Environment Agency is currently preparing catchment flood management plans for all of England and Wales.
	Flood risk assessments for smaller areas may be aggregated to administrative boundaries. However, risk will vary greatly within administrative areas and may be significantly influenced by activities outside these boundaries. Appraisals are therefore not normally based on administrative boundaries.

Floods: Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which areas covered by the draft Regional Spatial Strategy and designated by the Environment Agency as at risk of flooding have had houses built on them since 1997; on which of those areas development is planned; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency and the Local Government Association have produced reports on High Level Target Five since 2000. Information is provided on development plans, planning applications, and appeals where the Environment Agency sustained its objections on flood risk grounds through to a known decision.
	Historically, the Environment Agency has not been informed of the outcome of every individual planning application that it objected to. However, this is now a requirement under Planning Policy Statement 25.
	In 2006-07, the Environment Agency was made aware of the outcome of 299 out of 754 planning applications and 22 out of 30 appeals which it objected to in the Southern Region.

Floods: Housing

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken since the summer 2007 floods to reduce the risk of flooding in residential areas; what steps he is planning to take; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Sir Michael Pitt and his team produced an interim review of the 2007 summer floods in December and a final report is intended to be produced this summer.
	15 urgent recommendations were highlighted for Government, its Agencies and others to take action. Updates on how these recommendations are being taken forward will be made available soon.
	In addition, we expect to make a range of announcements on how to manage surface water drainage better in the upcoming Government Water Strategy.

Floods: River Severn

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency spent on flood protection measures in the lower Severn area in 2006-07; how much it is spending in 2007-08; and how much it intends to spend in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: For the section of the lower Severn that falls within Gloucestershire and the Environment Agency's midlands region, the agency spends estimated sums of 750,000 annually on activities such as development control, flood warning and awareness and risk mapping and 750,000 on maintaining river channels, flood banks and control structures. Spending will be maintained at similar levels in 2008-09.
	Levies on local authorities are used to fund further works which have a high priority locally but do not currently meet national prioritisation criteria for funding from DEFRA grant in aid. In 2006-07 725,000 was spent on work at Cornham and Alney Island. Levy funding for 2008-09 is yet to be formally agreed.
	Since 2000 the agency has completed large capital improvement projects at Cone Pill-Lydney (4.7 million), Lydney Harbour (1.7 million) and on the River Chelt (26.5 million).

Genetics

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the  (a) effectiveness and  (b) reliability of genetic use restriction technologies as a biosafety tool.

Phil Woolas: In 2006 DEFRA published a study that reviewed the various technologies that might be used to achieve biological containment and as biosafety tools for crops. This study assessed the current state of play of  (a) the effectiveness and  (b) the reliability of genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs) as well as other containment technologies for potential use as biosafety tools. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) also provided advice on the findings of this report. Both the study and the ACRE advice are available on the DEFRA website.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 522W, on Home Information Packs, if he will place in the Library copies of each of the written representations made by the Environment Agency.

Phil Woolas: I have arranged for the information requested to be placed in the Library of the House.

Atmospheric Emissions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the estimated volume of emissions of hydrogen fluoride was from  (a) energy industries,  (b) manufacturing industries and construction,  (c) road transport,  (d) residential housing,  (e) agriculture and forestry fuel use,  (f) fugitive emissions from fuels,  (g) industrial processes,  (h) solvent and other product use,  (i) agriculture,  (j) waste disposal and  (k) other sources in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the estimated volume of emissions of hydrogen chloride was from  (a) energy industries,  (b) manufacturing industries and construction,  (c) road transport, broken down into (i) passenger cars, (ii) light duty vehicles and, (iii) mopeds and motorcycles,  (d) residential housing,  (e) agriculture and forestry fuel use,  (f) fugitive emissions from fuels,  (g) industrial processes,  (h) solvent and other product use,  (i) agriculture,  (j) waste disposal and  (k) other sources in each year since 1997;
	(3)  what the estimated volume of emissions of carbon monoxide was from  (a) road transport,  (b) residential and  (c) other sources in each year since 1997;
	(4)  what the estimated volume of emissions of ammonia was from  (a) energy industries,  (b) manufacturing industries and construction,  (c) road transport,  (d) residential housing,  (e) agriculture and forestry fuel use,  (f) fugitive emissions from fuels,  (g) industrial processes,  (h) solvent and other product use,  (i) agriculture,  (j) waste disposal and  (k) other sources in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The figures requested are available online at the UK's National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory's (NAEI) website at:
	www.naei.org.uk

Atmospheric Emissions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated volume of emissions of sulphur dioxide was in  (a) large combustion plants and  (b) total in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: Information on the total emissions of sulphur dioxide is held in the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) and is publicly accessible via the NAEI's website. The latest year for which verified data is available is 2005, although 2006 data will be available shortly.
	Information on large combustion plant emissions has been derived from the pollution inventories managed by the relevant environment agencies.
	A summary table of the annual emissions data, in kilo tonnes, for 1997-2005 for sulphur dioxide is shown as follows:
	
		
			   Large combustion plant  Total 
			 1997 1,108 1,641 
			 1998 1,207 1,619 
			 1999 881 1,227 
			 2000 848 1,215 
			 2001 739 1,119 
			 2002 638 1,002 
			 2003 704 991 
			 2004 541 836 
			 2005 438 706

Landfill Tax

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much and what proportion of the revenue from the landfill tax was distributed as grants to relevant organisations in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The forecast landfill tax receipts for 2007-08 are 0.9 billion(1). Landfill tax was designed to be revenue neutral. To date, the tax yield has been recycled by a 0.2 percentage point reduction in employers' national insurance contributions, and since 2005-06 by public spending (DEFRA's Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme in England). DEFRA have allocated 125 million to the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme in 2007-08.
	(1) Further details are published in table B8 of the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review available at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/F/9/pbr_csr07_annexb_305.pdf

Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Environment Agency's criteria for determining the watercourses it is responsible for maintaining.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency has permissive powers to undertake works to manage flood risk on watercourses designated as 'main' by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the Water Resources Act 1991. Internal drainage boards have similar powers for other, 'ordinary', watercourses in areas of special drainage need and local authorities for ordinary watercourses outside internal drainage districts. Watercourses are designated as main (enmained) in general if they create significant flood risk. An exercise to establish which of the remaining ordinary watercourses created the greatest flood risk resulted in 1,800 watercourse lengths being enmained between 2004 and 2006.

Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration has been given to the merits of giving local authorities greater powers to  (a) carry out routine maintenance on and  (b) remove obstacles from watercourses.

Phil Woolas: Local authorities have permissive powers to undertake works to manage flood risk on ordinary (non-main) watercourses outside internal drainage districts under the Land Drainage Act 1991, including maintenance works and removal of obstacles. For those watercourses designated as main river, this power is vested in the Environment Agency. Watercourses are designated as main river (enmained) in general if they create significant flood risk. An exercise to establish which ordinary watercourses created the greatest flood risk resulted in 1,800 watercourse lengths being enmained between 2004 and 2006.

Severn Trent Water: Fees and Charges

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ofwat officials have had on Severn Trent plc's decisions to (i) charge for surface water drainage according to site area and (ii) withdraw exceptions for schools, hospitals, community buildings and churches.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not discussed the specific issue of surface water drainage charging in the Severn Trent region with either Ofwat or Severn Trent Water. However, there have been other more general discussions with Ofwat, during which the issue of site area-based surface water drainage charging, and rebates of charges, were considered.
	Ofwat meets with water and sewerage companies annually to discuss their charges for the coming year. Ofwat has discussed area-based charging for surface water drainage for non-household customers with Severn Trent Water extensively since it was introduced for all customers in 2000-01.
	During 2007, Ofwat and Severn Trent Water discussed withdrawing the current exemptions from surface water drainage charges relating to religious and community buildings (including schools and hospitals).

Drains

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of problems with privately owned drains in relation to surface water flooding;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of drains under private riparian ownership.

Phil Woolas: The term 'drain' has a wide definition, encompassing smaller watercourses, ditches, sewers etc. There is no estimate of the total number under private ownership.
	We announced in February 2007 that private sewers and lateral drains in England draining to the public sewerage system will be transferred into the ownership of water companies. This is to ensure a more integrated management of the sewerage system and to help meet the challenges of climate change and future housing growth. It has been estimated that up to 50 per cent. of properties in England and Wales are connected to a private sewer in one form or another and are unlikely to have any kind of maintenance regime, most householders being unaware that they are responsible for them.

Voles: Conservation

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any prosecutions have taken place for offences related to the protection of vole habitats under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 since 1998.

Joan Ruddock: The number of defendants proceeded against for offences under section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in England and Wales from 1998 to 2006 is shown in the table. The Ministry of Justice is unable to separate offences relating to the protection of vole habitats from offences against other animals listed in schedule 5 of the Act.
	
		
			   Number 
			 1998  
			 1999 3 
			 2000  
			 2001 4 
			 2002 4 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 4 
			 2005 7 
			 2006 22 
		
	
	The figures are on the principal offence basis.

Voles: Conservation

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any derogations have been granted from the protection afforded to vole habitats under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 since 1998.

Joan Ruddock: Since 1998, 10 licences have been issued to disturb water voles in their place of shelter. The licences were issued for the purposes of either conservation or scientific study of the species, such as projects leading to restoration of their habitat. The 10 licences relate to four separate projects.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1133W, on domestic wastes: waste disposal, whether the satisfaction survey that local authorities must carry out as part of best value performance indicators includes a requirement to assess public satisfaction with local authority waste collection services.

Joan Ruddock: There are three best value performance satisfaction indicators for waste:
	BVP190aSatisfaction with household waste collection
	BVP190bSatisfaction with waste recycling (local facilities)
	BVP190cSatisfaction with waste disposal (local tips)
	The latest national results for public satisfaction with local government and its services with trends over time, by authority type and by region for each indicator are set out in the Best Value User Satisfaction Survey 2006-07: General Survey National Report, that can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government's website.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether members of the public will be able to make submissions to the organisation which will produce the reports to lay before Parliament under the provisions of the Climate Change Bill on the operation of the new household rubbish collection charge pilots.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	Procedural details relating to the evaluation of these pilots are not a matter for legislation and will be considered separately in due course. In general, however, we welcome the public's views on the operation of the pilots.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the proposed household rubbish collection charge pilots will apply to composite hereditaments.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	Paragraph 1 of proposed schedule 2AA, which sets out the rules for the schemes, allows schemes to be applied to any domestic premises within the definition given in paragraph 16 of schedule 2AA. This definition of domestic premises includes composite hereditaments, as it covers any part of a building used wholly for the purposes of living accommodation.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will designate an independent agency to undertake the reports to be laid before Parliament on the operation of the new household rubbish collection tax pilots under the provisions of the Climate Change Bill.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	Evaluation is central to proper piloting and we will be looking for the schemes to be independently evaluated. In line with standard parliamentary procedure, the legislation, however, requires the Secretary of State to lay the final report before Parliament.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the proposed power of the Secretary of State under the Climate Change Bill to  (a) designate a specific area as a pilot for new household rubbish collection charges and  (b) issue guidance on the administration of such a specific pilot, will require parliamentary approval by the procedure of affirmative resolution.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	Schedule 5, clause 54 of the proposed Climate Change Bill explains that an area will be designated as a pilot by designation order. It does not require parliamentary approval by affirmative resolution.
	Schedule 2AA, paragraph 15 provides the Secretary of State with a power in primary legislation to issue guidance in respect of waste incentive schemes. The guidance does not require parliamentary approval by affirmative resolution. We intend to follow Cabinet Office guidance on full and proper consultation.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what technical definition he plans to use of a good recycling service to assess whether an area should participate in the proposed new households rubbish collection charge.

Joan Ruddock: The powers provided in the Climate Change Bill will allow up to five local authorities to pilot non-revenue raising incentives schemes designed to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	As can be seen in the Climate Change Bill, the legislative provisions require that any pilot area has a good recycling service in place; and that this will be defined in guidance issued by the Secretary of State. We will be working with stakeholders to develop guidance on providing a good recycling service and will consult formally on this.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what public authority or independent complaints authority individuals will be able to appeal under the household rubbish collection charge pilots decisions on liability for charges under the scheme.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow five local authorities to pilot incentives schemes to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	Paragraph 9 of the proposed new Schedule 2AA to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 will require local authorities selected to pilot schemes to have in place a suitable appeals process for
	any decision affecting, directly or indirectly, that person's entitlement to a rebate or other payment, or liability to pay a charge, under the scheme.
	We plan to consult formally on guidance on this matter. Local authorities will be required to have regard to any final guidance.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at what point in the financial year he expects  (a) charges and  (b) rebates to be made under the proposals for household rubbish collection charges.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill allow five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	At what point in the financial year charges and rebates are made is a matter for any local authority piloting waste incentive schemes. They will take that decision based on what is right for their area.

Waste Disposal: Incinerators

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on  (a) the use of and  (b) planning for incinerators for the disposal of waste; and what his policy is on such facilities.

Joan Ruddock: My Department has regular discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) about a wide range of issues, including sustainable waste management. Decisions on planning for residual waste treatment rest with Local Authorities rather than central Government. It is also local authorities, in conjunction with the waste industry, that build waste facilities.
	The number of new incinerators built will depend on the technologies and scale of facilities chosen by local authorities. Guidance on planning for waste facilities is contained within Planning Policy Statement 10, published by CLG in July 2005.
	Recycling rates are growing fast, but there will always be some wastes that cannot be recycled. 11 per cent. of waste is currently incinerated in England, but an increase is likely to be needed to be able to meet landfill directive targets, despite big improvements in waste recycling and minimisation. Recovering energy from waste (including via incineration) offers a considerable climate change benefit compared to the alternative of landfill. This is primarily through avoided landfill methane emissions, with energy generated from the biodegradable fraction of waste also offsetting fossil fuel power generation.

Waste Disposal: Recycling

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of waste collected in City of York was recycled in each year since 1996-97; and what financial assistance has been provided by the Government to York for recycling in that period.

Joan Ruddock: The Audit Commission's Best Value Performance Indicators show the percentage of household waste recycled or composted by York city council in each year since 1996-97 is:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 1996-97 5.3 
			 1997-98 5.2 
			 1998-99 5.9 
			 1999-2000 6.3 
			 2000-01 9.8 
			 2001-02 10.3 
			 2002-03 12.3 
			 2003-04 15.4 
			 2004-05 17.8 
			 2005-06 24.1 
			 2006-07 39.9 
		
	
	1996-97 to 1999-2000 were recorded for household waste that was recycled only, subsequent years were recorded for household waste recycled or composted.
	The main source of funding for local authorities' waste management services is Formula Grant distributed by the Government each year. It is for each local authority to decide how to use this funding, including how much to invest in waste management services.
	Specific funding awarded from 2003-04 onwards to York city council, available for it to use on improving its recycling services, is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Funding type  Funding amount  ()  Funding description  Start date  End date 
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Service 36,015 Partnership Development 1 April 2004 31 March 2005 
			 National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund (Round 3) 350,000 Household Waste Recycling Centre Development 1 April 2004 31 March 2006 
			  
			 Grant to relieve spending pressures on waste 50,735 Share of 20 million to all local authorities in England in recognition of the need to spend on waste management 1 April 2004 31 March 2005 
			  
			 Waste and Performance Efficiency Grant (WPEG) 145,790 Capital 82,006.62 1 April 2005 31 March 2006 
			   Revenue 63,782.92   
			  
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Support 72,182 York and North Yorkshire Waste Management Partnership (YNYWMP) and Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS)revision and development 1 April 2005 31 March 2006 
			 Household Incentives 23,400 Four incentive pilots for a six-month period starting October 2005. All authorities run the first two pilots but can elect to undertake a third and fourth. 1 April 2005 31 March 2006 
			  
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Support 99,832 Waste Composition Study 1 April 2006 31 March 2008 
			  
			 Waste and Performance Efficiency Grant (WPEG) 387,705 Capital 193,852 1 April 2006 31 March 2007 
			   Revenue 193,852   
			  
			 Waste and Performance Efficiency Grant (WPEG) 406,075 Capital 203,037 1 April 2007 31 March 2008 
			   Revenue 203,037   
		
	
	York city council also received free guidance and support during this time, including from the Waste and Resources Action Programme's ROTATE programme. ROTATE is a free advisory service which supports local authorities' kerbside collection and local communications and awareness programmes.
	No separate funding was provided to the council for recycling prior to 2003-04.

Wild Boar

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk that uncontrolled wild boar pose to  (a) lives and  (b) property.

Joan Ruddock: My Department has commissioned two detailed assessments on the risks and impacts of wild boar to inform policy on the management of this species. The risk assessments will be published in due course.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol Disorder Zones

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on the national implementation of alcohol disorder zones.

Jacqui Smith: No costs have been incurred in the roll out of Alcohol Disorder Zones (ADZs), as they have not yet been commenced.

Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which criminal offences have been created in each Act sponsored by her Department in the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The following table lists the principal provisions creating criminal offences contained in legislation passed in the last five years for which the Home Office retains responsibility.
	 Sexual Offences Act 2003
	Offences relating to notification (section 91)
	Breach of Sexual Offences Prevention Order or interim SOPO (section 113)
	Breach of foreign travel order (section 122)
	Breach of Risk of Sexual Harm Order or interim RSHO (section 128)
	 Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003
	Failure to comply with customer information order (sections 34 and 39)
	Disclosure of certain information (section 42)
	Assault on foreign officers (section 84)
	 Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003
	Contravention of closure of premises order (section 4)
	Possession of air weapon or imitation firearm in public place (section 37)
	Air weapons: age limits (section 38)
	Prohibition of certain air weapons (section 39)
	Closure of noisy premises: failure to comply with notice (section 40)
	Sale of aerosol paint to children (section 54)
	Offences in relation to raves (section 58)
	Failure to comply with direction (section 61)
	Failure to comply with remedial orders (sections 75 and 78)
	 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004
	Assisting unlawful immigration (section 1)
	Entering United Kingdom without passport (section 2)
	Immigration documents: forgery (section 3)
	Trafficking people for exploitation (section 4)
	Failure to comply with requirements relating to deportation or removal (section 35)
	Offence of advertising services (section 39)
	 Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
	Offences in relation to control orders (section 9)
	 Drugs Act 2005
	Offences in relation to attendance at initial assessment (section 12)
	Offences in relation to attendance at follow-up assessment (section 14)
	 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
	Assaults, obstruction or deception in connection with designations (section 51)
	Assaults or obstruction in connection with joint investigation teams (section 57)
	Offences in connection with disclosure notices or search warrants (section 67)
	Offence of disclosing information about protection arrangements (section 86)
	Offences of disclosing information relating to persons assuming new identity (section 88)
	Money laundering: form and manner of disclosures (section 105)
	Contravention of direction to leave a place (section 112)
	Harassment intended to deter lawful activities (section 125)
	Harassment etc of a person in his home (section 126)
	Harassment etc: police direction to stay away from person's home (section 127)
	Offence of trespassing on designated site (sections 128 and 129)
	Demonstrating without authorisation in designated area (section 132)
	Failure to comply with authorisation of demonstrations in designated area (section 134)
	Loudspeakers in designated area (section 137)
	Interference with contractual relationships so as to harm animal research organisation (section 145)
	Intimidation of persons connected with animal research organisation (section 146)
	Offence in respect of incorrectly registered vehicles (section 150)
	Failure to comply with request to require production of registration documents in respect of a vehicle (section 151)
	 Police and Justice Act 2006
	Making supplying or obtaining articles for use in computer misuse offences (section 37)
	 Identity Cards Act 2006
	Possession of false identity documents etc (section 25)
	Unauthorised disclosure of information (section 27)
	Providing false information (section 28)
	Tampering with the Register etc (section 29)
	 Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
	Adds into existing legislation various offences involving stirring up hatred on religious grounds, including by use of words or behaviour or display of written material; publishing or distributing written material; performance of plays; distributing etc of recordings; broadcasting programmes; possession of inflammatory material.
	 Terrorism Act 2006
	Encouragement of terrorism (section 1)
	Dissemination of terrorist publications (section 2)
	Preparation of terrorist acts (section 5)
	Training for terrorism (section 6)
	Attendance at a place used for terrorist training (section 8)
	Making and possession of devices or materials (section 9)
	Misuse of devices or material and misuse and damage of facilities (section 10)
	Terrorist threats relating to devices, materials or facilities (section 11)
	Trespassing etc on nuclear sites (section 12)
	Commission of offences abroad (section 17)
	 Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006
	Employing person subject to immigration control (section 21)
	Bodies corporate, c (section 22)
	Failure to comply with police requests for information (section 34)
	Absconding from detention, obstruction or assault of authorised search officer (section 41)
	 Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
	Breach of a drinking banning order (section 11)
	Persistently selling alcohol to children (section 23)
	Using someone to mind a weapon (section 28)
	Selling air weapons unless a registered firearms dealer (section 31)
	Sale of air weapons by way of trade or business where the sale is not done face to face section 32)
	Firing an air weapon beyond premises (section 34)
	Sale and purchase of primers (section 35)
	Manufacture, sale, importation of realistic imitation firearms (section 36)
	Non-compliance with specifications for imitation firearms (section 39)
	Sale/purchase of imitation firearms to/by minors (section 40)
	Sale and disposal of tickets for a designated football match by an unauthorised person (section 53)
	 UK Borders Act 2007
	Absconding from detention (section 3)
	Assaulting an immigration officer (section 22)
	Wrongful disclosure (section 42)
	 Serious Crime Act 2007
	Failing to comply with serious crime prevention order (section 25)
	Certain disclosures of information (section 69)
	Supplementary provision in relation to new powers (section 81)

Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed in the five  (a) most and  (b) least deprived Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not available centrally. The Home Office recorded crime statistics do not differentiate between the most and least deprived Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership areas.

Criminal Justice

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Acts of Parliament sponsored by her Department which relate either wholly or partly to criminal justice have been passed since May 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Responsibility for general policy on criminal justice passed to the Ministry of Justice in May 2007.
	As regards those areas of policy which are still the responsibility of the Home Office, the following Acts passed since May 1997 relate wholly or in significant part to criminal justice:
	Firearms (Amendment)(No. 2) Act 1997
	Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1997
	Criminal Justice (International Co-operation)(Amendment) Act 1998
	Crime and Disorder Act 1998
	Football (Offences and Disorder) Act 1999
	Football (Disorder) Act 2000
	Terrorism Act 2000
	Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001
	Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001
	Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
	Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
	Police Reform Act 2002
	Mobile Phones Reprogramming Act 2002
	Football Disorder (Amendment) Act 2002
	Extradition Act 2003
	Sexual Offences Act 2003, Part II
	Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003
	Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003
	Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
	Drugs Act 2005
	Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
	Police and Justice Act 2005
	Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
	Terrorism Act 2006
	Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
	Serious Crime Act 2007

National DNA Database

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for information held on the national DNA database her Department received from other countries in each year since 2004.

Meg Hillier: There are three categories of information sought from the National DNA Database by other countries:
	1. Searches carried out against the National DNA Database of DNA profiles from outstanding serious crimes or for the identification of an unknown deceased person believed to be a UK national. Reports are issued directly to United Kingdom National Central Bureau for Interpol (UK NCB) based at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) as to the outcome of each profile search.
	
		
			   Number of searched profile responses provided to SOCA 
			 2004-05 149 
			 2005-06 249 
			 2006-07 498 
			 2007-08 to date 28 November 2007 523 
			 Total 1,419 
		
	
	2. Request for the DNA profile held for a subject on the National DNA database, where fingerprints have been provided to the country that the individual currently resides in. Again this is information provided to SOCA.
	
		
			  Subject DNA profiles provided 
			   Number of profiles  provided to SOCA 
			 August 2004 to December 2004 12 
			 2005 76 
			 2006 66 
			 2007 to date 28 November 2007 62 
			 Total 216 
		
	
	3. Database management information. This provides the number of subject and crimestain DNA profile records held on the database and the number of match reports generated. Countries who do not have a DNA database use this information to demonstrate the success of the UK Database to support their case for legislation in their own country for a DNA database. Requestors are directed to the most recent published National DNA Database annual report, thus no figures are kept for the numbers of such requests.

National DNA Database

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals aged under  (a) 10,  (b) 16 and  (c) 18 years old who have not been convicted of any offence have their DNA profile stored on the National DNA Database.

Jacqui Smith: In relation to the number of individuals who have not been convicted of any offence on the National DNA Database, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 761W. This gives figures for the numbers of those with a profile on the NDNAD who have not been convicted of any offence. However a further breakdown of these figures by age could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	As at 10 August 2007 there were records of 47 individuals under the age of 10 on the National DNA Database, of which 38 were submitted by forces in England and Wales and nine from forces in Scotland. In England and Wales a child under 10 is below the age of criminal responsibility and so cannot be prosecuted and convicted, so by definition those of this age on the DNA Database had not been convicted of any offence. Also, in England and Wales the police have no power to take a DNA sample from an under 10 without the consent of a parent or guardian. In Scotland the age of criminal responsibility is eight, so the nine children whose details had been submitted by Scottish forces may have been convicted of an offence.

Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the Class A drugs seizures quantities in the table on page 22 of the latest Serious and Organised Crime Agency annual report were drugs destined for the UK; and if she will break down the seizures by Government Department leading the interdiction.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The ecstasy, opium and LSD reported on page 22 of SOCA's Annual Report were seized within the UK. The majority of the seizures of cocaine and heroin took place outside of the UK. Trafficking routes frequently involve a number of countries and the route from producer to the UK will be deliberately circuitous to avoid detection by law enforcement. These are the same routes used to traffic drugs to other European states and it is, therefore, impossible to determine accurately what proportion of an individual shipment will be destined for the UK.

Firearms

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects deactivated guns to be reclassified as replicas.

Vernon Coaker: As I announced on 10 January, we will be consulting on how best to control deactivated firearms and no decision has yet been taken on how this will be achieved.

Identity and Passport Service: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people worked for the Identity and Passport Service on 31 December 2007.

Meg Hillier: The number of people on the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) payroll on 31 December 2007 was 4,132.

Passports: Interviews

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department  (a) permits or  (b) requires responsible adults to be present when interviewing minors at passport interview centres; what child protection procedures her Department and its agencies have in place when processing minors' applications; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: IPS introduced interview for adults aged 16 years and over who are applying for their first British passport. Younger applicants are not subject to an interview.

Police Stations

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2007,  Official Report, column 644W, on police stations, and with reference to the answer of 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1888W, on police, for what reason she is unable to provide updated figures for the number of police stations operational in each force area in 2006.

Jacqui Smith: Due to the changes in the use of police buildings and the quality of some information supplied by police forces it has proved to be difficult to obtain comprehensive information as to the number of police stations in use.

Police: Finance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on policing per head of the population in each police force in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Information on police authority budgets and resident population since 1997 are set out in the following tables.
	The Government do not distribute grant to police authorities purely on the basis of population. The police funding formula uses a range of data relating to demographic and social characteristics to reflect the relative needs of each authority. Grant allocations also take into account the relative tax base of each authority. Grant allocations are stabilised by damping to limit year-on-year variations.
	
		
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000 
			  Police authority  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million)  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million)  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million) 
			 Avon and Somerset 159,006,562 1.46 164,832,690 1.47 173,315,000 1.48 
			 Bedfordshire 59,172,000 0.55 61,342,000 0.55 63,415,484 0.56 
			 Cambridgeshire 68,262,627 0.70 70,750,814 0.70 75,172,824 0.70 
			 Cheshire 101,311,186 0.98 105,027,098 0.98 111,094,438 0.98 
			 Cleveland 75,559,324 0.55 79,335,389 0.55 83,286,975 0.55 
			 Cumbria 59,745,000 0.49 61,935,000 0.49 64,523,000 0.49 
			 Derbyshire 95,295,300 0.95 98,790,759 0.96 106,492,000 0.96 
			 Devon and Cornwall 157,809,828 1.54 164,710,339 1.54 175,870,040 1.55 
			 Dorset 70,007,522 0.68 72,561,284 0.68 77,379,800 0.69 
			 Durham 73,489,621 0.60 76,990,391 0.60 81,266,191 0.59 
			 Dyfed-Powys 49,950,000 0.48 51,780,887 0.48 55,715,905 0.48 
			 Essex 157,808,369 1.58 163,570,932 1.59 169,455,253 1.60 
			 Gloucestershire 60,203,441 0.56 62,411,629 0.56 65,962,950 0.56 
			 Greater Manchester 352,764,581 2.52 365,686,086 2.52 382,528,615 2.52 
			 Gwent 64,558,499 0.55 66,927,277 0.55 71,414,443 0.55 
			 Hampshire 180,511,248 1.75 187,128,030 1.76 196,536,000 1.77 
			 Hertfordshire 92,965,806 1.01 95,981,139 1.02 101,563,037 1.02 
			 Humberside 106,074,730 0.88 109,969,500 0.88 114,306,850 0.87 
			 Kent 168,865,000 1.55 176,101,000 1.55 184,225,000 1.56 
			 Lancashire 168,250,000 1.41 174,411,000 1.41 181,340,000 1.41 
			 Leicestershire 97,505,000 0.92 101,082,730 0.92 106,279,000 092 
			 Lincolnshire 64,201,257 0.62 65,756,172 0.63 69,724,760 0.63 
			 Merseyside 233,451,010 1.39 239,578,121 1.39 247,021,940 1.38 
			 Metropolitan 1,719,640,000 7.01 1,777,511,000 7.06 1,836,186,000 7.15 
			 Norfolk 78,148,092 0.77 81,001,502 0.78 86,869,903 0.79 
			 North Wales 71,301,642 0.65 73,913,992 0.66 79,554,819 0,66 
			 North Yorkshire 71,594,000 0.73 74,362,880 0.73 78,044,000 0.74 
			 Northamptonshire 63,791,878 0.61 66,113,479 0.62 70,432,000 0.62 
			 Northumbria 193,687,000 1.42 202,590,000 1.41 212,600,000 1.40 
			 Nottinghamshire 118,536,000 1.02 122,877,000 1.02 129,643,000 1.02 
			 South Wales 155,439,908 1.21 161,134,896 1.21 169,968,039 1.21 
			 South Yorkshire 159,242,400 1.28 165,074,000 1.27 173,333,000 1.27 
			 Staffordshire 113,008,566 1.05 117,155,343 1.05 122,172,000 1.05 
			 Suffolk 63,490,053 0.66 65,811,916 0.66 69,936,429 0.67 
			 Surrey 88,434,054 1.04 88,818,323 1.04 93,375,000 1.06 
			 Sussex 155,709,000 1.46 161,419,000 1.47 167,964,000 1.49 
			 Thames Valley 209,763,428 2.06 217,445,276 2.07 229,085,758 2.08 
			 Warwickshire 50,904,377 0.50 52,771,905 0.50 55,855,956 0.50 
			 West Mercia 106,490,016 1.13 110,393,116 1.14 116,490,000 1.14 
			 West Midlands 354,200,595 2.59 367,161,201 2.59 380,910,439 2.58 
			 West Yorkshire 268,334,000 2.07 278,149,805 2.07 289,074,330 2.07 
			 Wiltshire 63,334,000 0.59 65,649,000 0.60 68,927,000 0.60 
			 England and Wales total 6,821,816,920 51.56 7,066,013,901 51. 71 7 388,311,178 51.93 
		
	
	
		
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03 
			  Police authority  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million)  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million)  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million) 
			 Avon and Somerset 181,197,000 1.49 189,720,000 1.49 196,089,000 1.50 
			 Bedfordshire 66,775,607 0.56 70,727,878 0.57 72,605,279 0.57 
			 Cambridgeshire 79,503,689 0.71 84,131,136 0.71 90,799,700 0.72 
			 Cheshire 115,132,051 0.98 121,798,317 0.98 124,970,000 0.99 
			 Cleveland 86,466,800 0.55 90,735,000 0.55 95,694,000 0.55 
			 Cumbria 67,400,000 0.49 70,600,000 0.49 72,650,000 0.49 
			 Derbyshire 111,090,198 0.96 116,963,249 0.97 123,603,035 0.97 
			 Devon and Cornwall 182,366,686 1.57 191,117,221 1.58 198,375,389 1.59 
			 Dorset 80,971,300 0.69 84,584,100 0.69 87,889,300 0.70 
			 Durham 83,999,053 0.59 87,663,024 0.59 89,216,603 0.59 
			 Dyfed-Powys 59,025,095 0.49 62,883,893 0.49 65,332,005 0.49 
			 Essex 183,122,689 1.61 194,844,514 1.62 198,477,445 1.62 
			 Gloucestershire 68,553,570 0.56 72,220,000 0.56 74,986,000 0.57 
			 Greater Manchester 393,570,014 2.52 411,132,000 2.52 415,261,000 2.52 
			 Gwent 76,135,341 0.55 80,680,620 0.55 84,386,006 0.55 
			 Hampshire 204,660,000 1.77 216,224,000 1.78 227,547,000 1.79 
			 Hertfordshire 121,168,331 1.03 129,305,385 1.04 132,696,567 1.04 
			 Humberside 118,900,000 0.87 128,206,000 0.88 131,635,000 0.88 
			 Kent 193,127,000 1.57 206,742,000 1.58 214,626,000 1.59 
			 Lancashire 189,616,000 1.41 198,015,000 1.42 202,025,000 1.42 
			 Leicestershire 110,150,000 0.92 116,415,012 0.93 122,586,056 0.93 
			 Lincolnshire 72,599,526 0.64 76,053,758 0.65 77,113,400 0.66 
			 Merseyside 253,674,990 1.37 265,111,460 1.37 268,584,230 1.37 
			 Metropolitan 1,830,000,000 7.23 1,980,100,000 7.32 2,037,700,000 7.36 
			 Norfolk 91,490,283 0.79 98,425,877 0.80 104,362,283 0.80 
			 North Wales 84,019,010 0.66 89,451,522 0.66 93,455,583 0.67 
			 North Yorkshire 81,000,000 0.74 85,860,000 0.75 93,142,000 0.76 
			 Northamptonshire 73,370,000 0.63 76,811,000 0.63 81,609,000 0.64 
			 Northumbria 218,387,000 1.40 227,634,000 1.39 228,585,000 1.39 
			 Nottinghamshire 133,822,000 1.02 140,265,320 1.02 145,228,163 1.02 
			 South Wales 179,083,886 1.21 188,937,098 1.20 195,006,056 1.21 
			 South Yorkshire 179,676,400 1.27 187,178,500 1.27 191,371,638 1.27 
			 Staffordshire 126,964,000 1.05 134,273,000 1.05 136,960,100 1.05 
			 Suffolk 72,937,545 0.67 77,612,517 0.67 81,165,757 0.67 
			 Surrey 119,859,000 1.06 122,396,165 1.06 128,578,885 1.06 
			 Sussex 174,533,000 1.49 183,875,000 1.50 189,799,000 1.50 
			 Thames Valley 238,316,107 2.09 252,131,445 2.10 259,252,001 2.10 
			 Warwickshire 58,858,079 0.50 62,392,000 0.51 65,787,000 0.51 
			 West Mercia 125,700,000 1.15 133,225,000 1.16 144,403,000 1.17 
			 West Midlands 394,602,519 2.57 410,722,000 2.57 415,500,000 2.58 
			 West Yorkshire 301,374,886 2.07 314,113,000 2.08 323,904,000 2.09 
			 Wiltshire 71,981,000 0.61 75,644,000 0.61 77,571,000 0.62 
			 England and Wales total 7,655,179,655 52.13 8,106,921,011 52.35 8,360,528,481 52.56 
		
	
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Police authority  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million)  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million)  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million) 
			 Avon and Somerset 215,885,000 1.51 228,655,000 1.52 240,632,000 1.53 
			 Bedfordshire 78,229,003 0.57 83,054,572 0.58 87,283,056 0.58 
			 Cambridgeshire 99,148,253 0.73 106,055,212 0.74 112,525,434 0.75 
			 Cheshire 135,181,659 0.99 142,258,000 0.99 148,387,000 0.99 
			 Cleveland 103,727,300 0.55 109,402,380 0.55 114,811,422 0.55 
			 Cumbria 79,742,000 0.49 85,600,000 0.49 89,115,200 0.50 
			 Derbyshire 132,864,562 0.98 139,837,742 0.98 145,884,008 0.98 
			 Devon and Cornwall 220,160,398 1.60 233,169,539 1.62 243,711,293 1.63 
			 Dorset 95,566,400 0.70 101,678,000 070 106,976,800 0.70 
			 Durham 95,729,626 0.59 100,663,547 0,60 105,403,420 0.60 
			 Dyfed-Powys 71,234,933 0.50 77,007,531 0.50 80,276,930 0.51 
			 Essex 212,755,956 1.63 222,081,539 1.64 232,229,000 1.65 
			 Gloucestershire 86,850,000 0.57 92,024,000 0.57 95,927,750 0.58 
			 Greater Manchester 450,871,499 2.53 468,918,991 2.54 493,914,043 2.55 
			 Gwent 91,973,413 0.56 98,190,213 0.56 102,311,000 0.56 
			 Hampshire 247,614,000 1.80 261,498,000 1.80 272,889,000 1.81 
			 Hertfordshire 143,154,785 1.04 152,728,042 1.04 159,457,979 1.05 
			 Humberside 141,992,061 0.88 150,435,067 0.89 156,908,520 0.89 
			 Kent 233,039,000 1.60 245,810,000 1.61 256,520,400 1.62 
			 Lancashire 216,769,000 1.43 228,935,000 1.43 240,365,000 1.44 
			 Leicestershire 130,089,110 0.94 138,064,985 0.95 146,275,519 0.95 
			 Lincolnshire 81,127,664 0.67 85,105,554 0.67 89,863,416 0.68 
			 Merseyside 282,863,100 1.36 294,867,054 1.37 306,627,744 1.37 
			 Metropolitan 2,207,800,000 7.38 2,343,300,000 7.42 2,488,300,000 7.51 
			 Norfolk 113,530,398 0.81 121,310,265 0.82 127,468,324 0.82 
			 North Wales 104,641,175 0.67 115,243,212 0.67 120,677,834 0.68 
			 North Yorkshire 114,280,000 0.76 122,000,000 0.76 126,165,400 0.77 
			 Northamptonshire 90,339,100 0.64 96,778,000 0.65 101,803,000 0.65 
			 Northumbria 241,230,000 1.39 249,810,000 1.40 262,015,000 1.41 
			 Nottinghamshire 158,152,410 1.03 165,744,393 1.03 173,367,000 1.04 
			 South Wales 201,011,109 1.21 216,619,985 1.22 227,435,012 1.22 
			 South Yorkshire 207,209,984 1.27 216,571,182 1.28 226,351,089 1.29 
			 Staffordshire 149,082,000 1.05 157,082,000 1.05 163,905,000 1.05 
			 Suffolk 89,657,905 0.68 94,623,931 0.68 98,862,728 0.69 
			 Surrey 149,229,177 1.06 157,869,681 1.07 165,407,184 1.08 
			 Sussex 211,150,000 1.51 221,648,000 1.51 231,282,000 1.52 
			 Thames Valley 292,370,658 2.11 311,517,644 2.12 325,214,230 2.14 
			 Warwickshire 70,288,000 0.52 73,890,000 0.53 77,200,000 0.53 
			 West Mercia 154,505,000 1.17 165,838,000 1.18 172,791,000 1.19 
			 West Midlands 441,200,000 2.58 460,600,000 2.58 490,960,000 2.59 
			 West Yorkshire 345,577,000 2.10 363,701,000 2.11 382,975,000 2.12 
			 Wiltshire 83,823,000 0.62 88,293,000 0.63 92,705,000 0.63 
			 England and Wales total 9,071,645,638 52.79 9,588,480,261 53.04 10,083,180,735 53.38 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07  2007/08 
			  Police authority  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million)  Budget requirement ()  Resident population (million) 
			 Avon and Somerset 236,729,347 1.54 248,854,304 1.55 
			 Bedfordshire 87,335,239 0.59 91,229,000 0.59 
			 Cambridgeshire 110,474,455 0.75 116,008,248 0.76 
			 Cheshire 150,305,000 1.00 157,408,000 1.00 
			 Cleveland 114,975,143 0.55 119,736,908 0.55 
			 Cumbria 90,328,000 0.49 94,029,437 0.49 
			 Derbyshire 145,328,989 0.99 151,564,335 0.99 
			 Devon and Cornwall 246,273,836 1.64 256,803,556 1.65 
			 Dorset 103,055,700 0.71 107,800,000 0.71 
			 Durham 102,583,311 0.59 112,325,160 0.59 
			 Dyfed-Powys 79,892,792 0.51 83,635,989 0.51 
			 Essex 231,985,273 1.65 242,220,179 1.66 
			 Gloucestershire 91,489,400 0.58 95,658,895 0.58 
			 Greater Manchester 503,504,176 2.54 524,128,336 2.55 
			 Gwent 106,054,899 0.56 110,674,143 0.56 
			 Hampshire 269,722,000 1.82 281,925,000 1.83 
			 Hertfordshire 164,225,494 1.06 171,441,072 1.06 
			 Humberside 158,052,928 0.89 164,900,977 0.89 
			 Kent 247,311,000 1.63 257,912,389 1.65 
			 Lancashire 239,533,000 1.44 252,645,000 1.44 
			 Leicestershire 148,270,715 0.95 154,705,856 0.96 
			 Lincolnshire 86,492,378 0.69 90,405,764 0.70 
			 Merseyside 296,426,757 1.36 307,320,130 1.36 
			 Metropolitan 2,425,700,000 7.51 2,532,700,000 7.56 
			 Norfolk 124,672,108 0.83 131,334,638 0.84 
			 North Wales 118,675,632 0.68 124,801,733 0.68 
			 North Yorkshire 122,894,000 0.77 127,634,283 0.77 
			 Northamptonshire 105,398,000 0.66 110,306,000 0.66 
			 Northumbria 260,475,000 1.39 270,145,176 1.39 
			 Nottinghamshire 170,490,070 1.04 177,621,598 1.04 
			 South Wales 222,649,897 1.23 232,098,915 1.23 
			 South Yorkshire 230,581,818 1.28 239,624,966 1.28 
			 Staffordshire 164,024,687 1.05 170,861,799 1.05 
			 Suffolk 97,352,382 0.69 101,851,694 0.70 
			 Surrey 172,396,784 1.08 180,592,560 1.08 
			 Sussex 227,247,669 1.53 237,148,000 1.54 
			 Thames Valley 329,137,246 2.14 344,367,127 2.15 
			 Warwickshire 76,560,000 0.53 80,078,926 0.53 
			 West Mercia 176,766,000 1.19 184,296,580 1.19 
			 West Midlands 501,612,139 2.59 521,750,000 2.59 
			 West Yorkshire 380,196,015 2.12 396,047,439 2.13 
			 Wiltshire 91,633,000 0.64 96,022,839 0.64 
			 England and Wales total 10,008.812,279 53.45 10,452,616,951 53.68

Proceeds of Crime: Terrorism

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total sum is of money collected relating to the suspected financing of terrorism through the suspicious activity reports regime since its creation.

Jacqui Smith: Statistics on the amount of money seized as a result of information received through Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) on the suspected financing of terrorism have been collected by the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (NTFIU) of the Metropolitan Police since September 2006.
	Since that date, 1,027,280 has been seized by the NTFIU for further investigation into the origins of the money and the intentions of the transacting parties following SARs of suspected terrorist financing passed onto them from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). It is not possible to provide further details of the transactions or a breakdown of this figure due to the need to protect ongoing operations.

Street Crime Initiative

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff in the Home Office were working full time on the Street Crime Initiative in  (a) December 2002 and  (b) December 2007.

Jacqui Smith: The Street Crime Initiative was launched in 2002 in order to tackle robbery. Information on staffing levels of the Street Crime Action Team can no longer be given due to a change made in recording personnel details against organisational structure in 2004. The Street Crime Action Team disbanded in April 2005 at the close of the initiative.

Touting: Tickets

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were for (i) online and (ii) offline offences of ticket touting under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in each year since it came into effect.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 February 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 670W, to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess). There have been a further two convictions in respect of offences committed during the 2006-07 football season. Ticket touting on the internet was added to the offence under section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 on 6 April 2007. Centrally collated information is not broken down into online and offline offences.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Finance

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the net economic benefit, as in paragraph 1.16 of the UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts 2007, of new runways at  (a) Stansted and  (b) Heathrow would accrue to (i) UK and (ii) non-UK residents.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 31 January 2008
	The breakdown of the monetised costs and benefits from additional capacity at Heathrow and Stansted is given in tables 4.2 and 4.3 (p78-79) of UK Air Passenger Demand and Forecasts (published 2007). The following figures are drawn from these tables.
	
		
			  Breakdown of costs and benefits from additional airport capacity, Net Present Value (NPV), 2006 prices 
			   billion 
			   One additional runway at 
			   Stansted (2015)  Heathrow (2020) 
			 Generated users 15 9 
			 Existing users (1) (1) 
			 Freight users (1) (1) 
			 Producers 2 5 
			 Government 4 3 
			 Carbon -3 -5 
			 Noise (2) (1) 
			
			  Delay Reductions   
			 Users (2) (2) 
			 Carbon (2) (2) 
			
			 Total benefits 18 12 
			 Infrastructure costs 4 7 
			 Net benefit 14 5 
			 (1) A non-zero impact is estimated, but the result rounds to nought at zero decimal places.  (2) No impact has been estimated.   Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to zero decimal places.  2. Heathrow figures are based on option 1 from the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document, and assume the midpoint of the range of infrastructure costs.  3. The base case for the Stansted option assumes no new runways, while the base case for the Heathrow option assumes an additional runway opens at Stansted in 2015. 
		
	
	The generated users benefit measures the benefit to extra passengers of additional capacity. The following table further breaks this down between UK and non-UK residents.
	
		
			  Breakdown of generated user benefits from additional airport capacity, NPV, 2006 prices 
			   billion 
			   Stansted  Heathrow 
			 UK resident 10 6 
			 Non-UK resident 5 3 
			 Total 15 9 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to zero decimal places.  2. Heathrow figures are based on option 1 from the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document, and assume the midpoint of the range of infrastructure costs.  3. The base case for the Stansted option assumes no new runways, while the base case for the Heathrow option assumes an additional runway opens at Stansted in 2015.

Aviation: Fuels

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what price for aviation fuel  (a) for the period to 2030,  (b) for the period 2030 to 2050 and  (c) for the period 2050 to 2080 is used by her Department in calculating the economic benefits of new runways in its publication, UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts is assumed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 31 January 2008
	UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts (published 2007) reports the latest air passenger demand forecasts and economic benefits of additional airport capacity. It explains (page 88) that aviation fuel prices were projected by combining the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform projection of crude oil prices with the strong historical relationship between oil and aviation fuel prices.
	The following table shows the resulting projections of aviation fuel prices in 2030 (in 2004 prices).
	
		
			  Oil price scenario  Aviation fuel price, /litre 
			 Low 0.11 
			 Central 0.22 
			 High 0.34 
		
	
	UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts also explains (page 48) that, after 2030, demand at each airport with spare capacity is projected to grow at the rate forecast for the five years prior to 2030. Demand at each airport is assumed to grow no further once its capacity is reached. This implicitly assumes oil and aviation fuel prices would be broadly constant after 2030.
	The report further shows that the resulting forecasts and economic benefits of additional airport capacity are robust to a range of sensitivity tests, including oil prices.

Aviation: Fuels

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent assumption of aviation fuel prices is in  (a) US dollars per barrel and  (b) pence per litre used by her Department in its calculations of costs.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 31 January 2008
	UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts (published 2007) reports the latest air passenger demand forecasts and economic benefits of additional airport capacity. It explains (page 88) that aviation fuel prices were projected by combining the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform projection of crude oil prices with the strong historical relationship between oil and aviation fuel prices.
	These projections were made during 2007 from the most recent complete annual outturn data available at the time, which was 2006. The 2006 aviation fuel price was assumed to be $0.53 per litre, or 28 pence per litre.
	UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts also shows that the forecasts and economic benefits of additional airport capacity it reports are robust to a range of sensitivity tests, including oil prices. The report is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukairdemandandco2forecasts/airpassdemandfullreport.pdf

Biofuels: Standards

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards the targets that all petrol and diesel sold in the UK contain a minimum of  (a) 2.5 per cent. biofuel by April 2008,  (b) 5 per cent. by 2010 and  (c) 10 per cent. by 2020.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) will come into effect on 15 April 2008. Under the RTFO, transport fuel suppliers will be required to demonstrate that an increasing percentage of total UK road transport fuel sales is made up of biofuels or other renewable transport fuels. The level of the RTFO rises from 2.5 per cent. in 2008-09 to 5 per cent. in 2010-11. The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) will report regularly on the progress that is being made towards these targets, as well as on the carbon savings and sustainability impacts of the policy. Further details are available via the RFA's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa
	No target for UK biofuel sales has yet been set for 2020. The level of any target will depend on the outcome of negotiations on the proposed renewable energy directive, issued in draft by the European Commission on 23 January 2008.

Bus Services: Concessions

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Oral Answer of 22 January 2008 to Question 180535, what estimate she has made of the overall cost of making English and Scottish national pensioners' bus passes interchangeable; and what proportion of this cost she would expect to arise from  (a) the use of Scottish bus passes in England and  (b) the use of English bus passes in Scotland.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 January 2008
	 In 2006, discussions were held with the Scottish Executive about reciprocal arrangements for concessionary travel. These identified technical and financial implications that would need to be resolved before there could be further extensions to national schemes, for example, how operators will be properly reimbursed (given the differing arrangements in place in the three areas) by whom, and whether the terms of the three different concessions would have to be aligned (which would be very expensive).
	However, that does not prevent local authorities from making arrangements for cross-border travel, should they wish to do so.
	Our current focus remains on ensuring a successful introduction of the new England-wide concession on 1 April and at this stage we have made no detailed assessment of the cost of introducing mutual recognition of concessionary bus passes between Scotland, Wales and England.

Bus Services: Finance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the central Government grant to Transport for London does not cover buses which cross the boundary into Hertfordshire; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport is the main source of external funding for Transport for London (TfL) through the GLA Transport Grant. However, the GLA Act does not allow any conditions to be attached to this grant. The use of funding from Government is a matter for TfL and the Mayor.
	TfL can and does support many bus services which run into Hertfordshire and other counties.

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid by her Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000; which contracts were awarded by her Department to Capita Group plc in each year from 2000-01 to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department was formed in May 2002. The following table shows the total value of payments made by the Department to the Capita Group plc. and its subsidiaries in each complete financial year since then.
	
		
			  Period (financial year)  Total expenditure () 
			 2002-03(1) 3,192,366 
			 2003-04 14,057,908 
			 2004-05 12,188,065 
			 2005-06 12,762,377 
			 2006-07 16,235,816 
			 Total 58,436,532 
			 (1) Starting from 1 May 2002. 
		
	
	A further table showing the 'contracts awarded' by the Department to the Capita Group plc. and its subsidiaries since 1 May 2002 and up to 31 March 2007 has been placed in the House of Commons Library. This table shows the contract title, start and current end date and the estimated value of each contract and, where it has been possible to identify them, those orders raised against framework arrangements.
	The other questions could be answered only at disproportionate cost. However the relevant key themes for all procurement in the Department are:
	Fair and open competition;
	Value for moneybased on quality and whole life cost; and
	Adherence with the policy and regulatory framework.
	Unsatisfactory performance and default are dealt with by specific contract terms and conditions. These include provision to withhold or reduce payment or may entitle the Department to compensation for loss brought about by delay or poor performance.
	A contract may be awarded on the basis that it can, subject to satisfactory performance and to business need, be extended without further competition. Other renewals are subject to specific, delegated, approval levels.

Cycling

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to provide funding to complete the Sustrans network as part of the Government's cycling strategy.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State has just announced a new 140 million funding programme for cycling. Cycling England will be responsible for the detailed delivery and direction of it. There is a commitment set out in A Sustainable Future for Cycling to provide 250 links to schools, which will form part of the National Cycle Network (NCN) and to build other infrastructure, such as cycling routes to business parks, which are also likely to be a part of the NCN.
	In addition, there is a commitment to extend the successful Cycling Demonstration Towns programme by building on the success of the six existing locations with up to 10 new towns and cities and one large conurbation. We do not yet know how much hew cycling infrastructure these towns and cities will build, although doubtless some of it will take the form of extensions to the NCN.
	In addition, Sustrans was awarded 50 million in December 2007 from the 'Peoples Millions' lottery for their Connect2 programme. This will provide 79 separate projects to link communities to places they want to access and will in the main form part of the NCN. Local authorities will be match funding these projects, largely from their local transport plan allocation from the Department, of which it is estimated English local authorities (outside London) will spend around 40 million on cycling in 2007-08.

Departmental Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what items of her Department's  (a) revenue and  (b) expenditure are uprated using (i) the consumer prices index, (ii) the retail prices index and (iii) other measures of inflation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A comprehensive answer, covering all items of expenditure and revenue within the Department, could be produced only at disproportionate cost. The majority of the Department's expenditure and revenue items are determined on an individual grant or contract basis, with each having their own terms and conditions.
	However, major items in the Department's accounts that are index linked include:
	For rail, the franchise subsidies/premiums and the Network Rail grant are both fixed in real prices, and are uplifted by reference to the retail prices index.
	The domestic capacity charge, paid to the London and continental railways to ensure that the high speed rail link is available for domestic services, is uprated in line with the RPI.
	The Highways Agency has granted a 60 million subordinated loan to Severn River Crossing plc. The loan is indexed by reference to the RPI and carries an interest rate of 6 per cent. per annum.
	The latest private finance initiative schemes entered into by the Highways Agency, under design, build, finance, operate (DBFO) arrangements, are uprated in line with RPI.
	Voluntary early retirement pension payments are uprated in line with RPI, where they fall under appropriate provisions of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Departmental Telephone Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue was generated by each  (a) 0845 and  (b) 0870 telephone code used for customer enquiry lines by her Department's agencies in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following agencies of the Department for Transport have 0870 telephone codes which generated the following revenue over the last five yearsno 0845 codes generated revenue:
	
		
			   DVLA  DSA  VOSA 
			 2002-03 623,539 (1) 0 
			 2003-04 874,965 702,326 0 
			 2004-05 1,945,131 706,399 10,386 
			 2005-06 2,423,517 693,254 63,407 
			 2006-07 1,945,131 623,284 72,397 
			 2007-08 to date 2,555,102 404,043 62,894 
			 Comments 0870 numbers 0870 numbers 0870 numbers 
			 (1) Not available.

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by her Department and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002. Information for the period prior to this date is not in all cases recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the requested information, where available, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Driving: Personal Records

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date  (a) she,  (b) the Permanent Secretary and  (c) the Department's press office were informed that a computer hard drive containing details of three million learner drivers had been mislaid by Pearson Driving Assessments Ltd.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 24 January 2008
	The Secretary of State for Transport and the Permanent Secretary were both informed on 28 November 2007.
	The Department's press office was informed subsequently in the run up to the Secretary of State's statement to the House on the 17 December 2007.

Eurostar North Pole Depot: Greater London

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the future of the Eurostar North Pole depot in West London.

Tom Harris: The transfer of North Pole Depot to BRB (Residuary) Ltd. was completed on 31 January. BRB (Residuary) Ltd. has been asked to provide a valuation and to dispose of the site. Prior to any disposal, there will be a further check with relevant stakeholders to confirm our initial assessment that there is no further rail use for this site.
	BRB (Residuary) Ltd. will be asked to follow established and published guidance in consulting with relevant stakeholders on the disposal of the former Eurostar depot at North Pole. The latest guidance was announced to Parliament on 26 July 2007. Copies of that guidance are available in the Library of the House and on the BRB (Residuary) Ltd. website at www.brbr.gov.uk.

Fares: Concessions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the national concessionary fares scheme offers concessions to people with mental health illness; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The current statutory concession does not include those people with mental health illness. The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 does not change the criteria regarding eligibility on age or disability for the national bus concession, to be implemented in April. Those eligible are people aged 60 and over, or people who have one of the seven categories of disability listed in the Transport Act 2000. Local authorities retain their discretion to offer concessionary travel to other groups of people, over and above the statutory minimum, at their own expense.
	The Transport Act 2000 defines an eligible disabled person as one who:
	 (a) is blind or partially sighted;
	 (b) is profoundly or severely deaf;
	 (c) is without speech;
	 (d) has a disability, or has suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to walk;
	 (e) does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms;
	 (f) has a learning disability, that is, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning; or
	 (g) would, if he applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have his application refused pursuant to section 92 of that Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.

First Capital Connect

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the performance of First Capital Connect in meeting its  (a) rail franchise obligations and  (b) targets; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: To date First Capital Connect has delivered all the franchise obligations that it was due to meet.
	First Capital Connect has met each of the three performance benchmarks specified in the Franchise Agreement in each of the railway periods it has been in operation.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the action taken by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with respect to Mr. Paul Waugh.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has not taken any action against Mr. Paul Waugh nor do they have any plans to do so. Mr. Waugh has left the Coastguard Rescue Service.

Motor Vehicles: Accidents

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many accidents reported to the police in the last five years involved motor vehicles without  (a) a valid MOT certificate and  (b) up to date car tax;
	(2)  how many motor vehicle accidents reported to the police in the last five years involved drivers with no valid insurance.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Motorcycles: Rural Areas

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to protect those using rural footpaths and trails from irresponsibly driven off-road vehicles.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	We have produced enforcement guidance to deal with the inappropriate use of vehicles off road. This guidance sets out the extensive statutory powers already available to deal with the misuse and draws on existing best practice examples of police and local authorities working in successful partnerships.

Motorways: Speed Limits

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consider harmonising motorway speed limits in England with those on equivalent roads in France and Germany; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department focuses its attention on making sure the motorway speed limit, as with all other speed limits, remain appropriate for UK roads, and has no plans to consider harmonising the UK motorway speed limit with any other country.

Network Rail

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what systems are operated by the Office of Rail Regulation for the proactive monitoring of Network Rail's compliance with Condition 7 (network stewardship) of its network licence;
	(2)  when the review of Network Rail's network licence being undertaken by the Office of Rail Regulation will be concluded; and when its results will be published;
	(3)  what systems are operated by the Office of Rail Regulation for the proactive monitoring of Network Rail's compliance with the dependent persons code of practice established by Network Rail under Condition 25 of its network licence.

Tom Harris: The monitoring of Network Rail's compliance with its network licence and any review of the licence are matters for the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).
	ORR informs me that it has in place robust processes regularly to review and assess Network Rail's compliance with its network licence and that it will investigate promptly any complaints by Network Rail's customers in relation to breach of Condition 25 of its licence.
	The ORR informs me that it aims to complete its review of Network Rail's network licence during the 2008-09 business year.

Network Rail

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish the contracts between the Office of Rail Regulation and the regulatory reporters appointed under Condition 23 of Network Rail's network licence.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is an independent body. It is a matter for ORR, with the agreement of its reporters and Network Rail, who are both parties to the contract, whether to publish these contracts. However, the ORR informs me that the contract specification was published in the  Official Journal of the European Union at the time of tendering for the reporter.

Network Rail

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with  (a) the chairman and  (b) chief executive of Network Rail on that organisation's proposals for new high speed lines in the UK.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State regularly meets Network Rail to discuss a range of issues of common interest.

Network Rail

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1821W, on Network Rail, on what date the meeting with Iain Coucher on 3 January 2008 was arranged; and when the most recent previous meeting with a senior executive of Network Rail took place.

Tom Harris: The meeting between the Secretary of State for Transport and Iain Coucher on 3 January 2008 was arranged that day.
	The previous meeting between the Secretary of State and a senior executive of Network Rail took place on 13 November 2007.

Parking

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what records her Department keeps of the number of successful appeals against local authorities for local authority parking enforcement measures.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 November 2007,  Official Report, column 297W, given to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers).

Political Impartiality

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what purpose her Department records the political opinions of  (a) staff and  (b) the public.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code, and section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code.
	Members of the public who apply for public appointments within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner for Public Appointments are asked to complete a declaration on political activity.

Railway Stations

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 547W, on railway stations, which stations have been  (a) opened and  (b) re-opened since 1 May 1997.

Tom Harris: The information is as follows:
	 Stations opened since 1 May 1997 : :
	Ashchurch for Tewkesbury
	Rugeley Town
	Euxton Balshaw Lane
	Brunswick
	Dalgety Bay
	Drumfrochar
	Whitwell
	Creswell
	LangwithWhaley Thorns
	Shirebrook
	Conway Park
	Canning Town
	West Ham
	West Brompton
	Norwich Parkway
	Luton Airport Parkway
	Dunfermline Queen Margaret
	Wavertree Technology Park
	Lea Green
	Warwick Parkway
	How Wood
	Newcraighall
	Brunstane
	Edinburgh Park
	Braintree Freeport
	Glasshoughton
	Gartcosh
	Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
	Llantwit Major
	Kelvindale
	Larkhall
	Merryton
	Chatelherault
	Liverpool South Parkway
	Llanharan
	Coleshill Parkway
	 Stations reopened:
	Brighouse
	Beauly
	Chandlers Ford

Railways for All

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the schedule is for the completion of the Railways for All programme.

Tom Harris: Network Rail plan to complete step free routes at around 45 stations up to 2009, a further 45 between 2009 and 2011 and at least 40 between 2012 and 2015. The timing for individual stations is available on Network Rail's website:
	www.networkrail.co.uk.

Railways for All

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many stations have been identified as requiring access improvements under the Railways for All strategy; and how many have been improved under this strategy.

Tom Harris: The consultation behind the strategy identified that over two thirds of the country's 2,500 stations, many of which date from the 19th century, could benefit from a range of access improvements including new customer information systems, lifts and ramps.
	132 stations in England and Wales, and eight in Scotland have so far been identified to receive obstacle free, accessible routes. To date, three have been completed with 45 targeted by 2009.
	In addition, the Railways for All Small Scheme Programme is currently part funding smaller scale access enhancements at over 500 stations.

Railways: St. Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time-tabled journey time by train from St Albans to London was in each of the last 10 years.

Tom Harris: The average travel time between St. Albans and London is outlined in the following table:
	
		
			   Journey time in minutes 
			   From London  To London 
			 1997 20 21 
			 1998 19 21 
			 1999 19 21 
			 2000 19 21 
			 2001 19 20 
			 2002 20 21 
			 2003 20 20 
			 2004 21 23 
			 2005 21 22 
			 2006 21 22 
			 2007 21 22

Railways: St. Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) punctuality and reliability levels and  (b) passengers in excess numbers were for rail services on the St. Albans to London route in each month since January 2005.

Tom Harris: First Capital Connect (FCC) is not required to report punctuality and reliability statistics at service group level as part of its franchise agreement. FCC reports punctuality as a whole across its business and the Public Performance Measure (PPM) Moving Annual Average (MAA) has increased from 87.56 per cent. in April 2006 to 89.52 per cent. in the latest railway period for which statistics are available.
	There are no specific requirements regarding levels of crowding on FCC's routes. The Department's general requirements for crowding are that passengers should not be expected to stand for more than 20 minutes. The franchise agreement does contain a capacity provision benchmark which gets progressively more challenging over the life of the franchise. To date FCC has achieved the required standard in every railway period since the franchise commenced.

Railways: West Yorkshire

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reasons have been identified for the recent disruptions of railway services between Hebdon Bridge and Wakefield in the vicinity of Elland; what estimate she has made of the cost of bringing services back to normal; how long such repairs are likely to take; what steps she is taking to reduce the risk of similar disruptions in the future; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The right hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	Ian Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London
	NW1 2EE.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by her Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and its agencies maintain the policy that road traffic violations such as parking tickets and speeding fines remain the responsibility of the individual and are not reimbursed from public resources. The main exception to this is the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) which pays parking tickets when they arise operationally in circumstances where the overriding security requirements necessarily dictate the choice of parking location.
	The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) also pays parking fines under exceptional circumstances such as during court appearances.
	The following outlines the cost to the public purse for parking tickets in each of the last 10 complete financial years:
	
		
			
			 1999-2000 2,610 
			 2000-01 1,820 
			 2001-02 2,760 
			 2002-03 4,900 
			 2003-04 7,570 
			 2004-05 5,610 
			 2005-06 7,500 
			 2006-07 5,990 
		
	
	Of these figures, VOSA contributed 30 towards one parking ticket in 2005-06 and 90 towards one parking ticket in 2006-07.
	All monetary values are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Complete records detailing the actual number of parking tickets and speeding fines issued for vehicles used by the Department in each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by each highway authority on (a) highway maintenance,  (b) compensation for personal injury and  (c) damage caused to vehicles as a result of inadequate maintenance of highways in the latest year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Local highways authorities in England reported spending a total of 3.7 billion on highways maintenance in 2006-07. Figures for individual authorities are given in the following table. Information about the amounts disbursed by local authorities on compensation for personal injury and damage caused to vehicles is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  LA  Region  Overall outturn (000) 
			 Bedfordshire E 25,100 
			 Cambridgeshire E 37,265 
			 Essex E 96,485 
			 Hertfordshire E 83,574 
			 Luton UA E 6,713 
			 Norfolk E 67,956 
			 Peterborough UA E 12,734 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA E 9,222 
			 Suffolk E 55,190 
			 Thurrock UA E 6,404 
			 City of Nottingham UA EM 12,123 
			 Derby City UA EM 18,679 
			 Derbyshire EM 57,128 
			 Leicester City UA EM 13,785 
			 Leicestershire EM 47,091 
			 Lincolnshire EM 56,942 
			 Northamptonshire EM 34,385 
			 Nottinghamshire EM 39,079 
			 Rutland UA EM 3,633 
			 Barking and Dagenham L 10,853 
			 Barnet L 17,901 
			 Bexley L 12,828 
			 Brent L 21,303 
			 Bromley L 18,934 
			 Camden L 17,722 
			 City of London L 10,420 
			 Croydon L 12,482 
			 Ealing L 13,370 
			 Enfield L 22,597 
			 Greater London Authority L 245,355 
			 Greenwich L 13,704 
			 Hackney L 20,499 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham L 11,703 
			 Haringey L 9,700 
			 Harrow L 17,107 
			 Havering L 9,780 
			 Hillingdon L 13,136 
			 Hounslow L 14,084 
			 Islington L 12,269 
			 Kensington and Chelsea L 14,786 
			 Kingston upon Thames L 11,745 
			 Lambeth L 9,694 
			 Lewisham L 10,157 
			 Merton L 11,740 
			 Newham L 10,987 
			 Redbridge L 12,991 
			 Richmond upon Thames L 11,358 
			 Southwark L 12,992 
			 Button L 8,423 
			 Tower Hamlets L 10,316 
			 Waltham Forest L 12,455 
			 Wandsworth L 10,239 
			 Westminster L 27,628 
			 Darlington UA NE 5,453 
			 Durham NE 31,339 
			 Gateshead NE 13,177 
			 Hartlepool UA NE 5,371 
			 Middlesbrough UA NE 8,638 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne NE 21,526 
			 North Tyneside NE 13,437 
			 Northumberland NE 40,378 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA NE 11,183 
			 South Tyneside NE 10,101 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA NE 10,502 
			 Sunderland NE 22,087 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA NW 11,377 
			 Blackpool UA NW 15,084 
			 Bolton NW 25,762 
			 Bury NW 11,765 
			 Cheshire NW 48,475 
			 Cumbria NW 36,478 
			 Halton UA NW 14,080 
			 Knowsley NW 8,614 
			 Lancashire NW 73,823 
			 Liverpool NW 44,246 
			 Manchester NW 26,383 
			 Oldham NW 15,937 
			 Rochdale NW 13,706 
			 Salford NW 19,706 
			 Sefton NW 17,632 
			 St. Helens NW 9,030 
			 Stockport NW 12,839 
			 Tameside NW 14,564 
			 Trafford NW 12,174 
			 Warrington UA NW 9,430 
			 Wigan NW 15,239 
			 Wirral NW 15,715 
			 Bracknell Forest UA SE 6,412 
			 Brighton and Hove UA SE 9,370 
			 Buckinghamshire SE 25,605 
			 East Sussex SE 31,781 
			 Hampshire SE 63,518 
			 Isle of Wight UA SE 6,476 
			 Kent SE 76,481 
			 Milton Keynes UA SE 12,331 
			 Oxfordshire SE 59,078 
			 Portsmouth UA SE 13,635 
			 Reading UA SE 5,920 
			 Slough UA SE 6,657 
			 Southampton UA SE 11,152 
			 Surrey SE 70,583 
			 The Medway Towns UA SE 13,132 
			 West Berkshire UA SE 10,646 
			 West Sussex SE 49,681 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA SE 6,507 
			 Wokingham UA SE 8,449 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA SW 9,725 
			 Bournemouth UA SW 6,993 
			 Bristol UA SW 11,682 
			 Cornwall SW 45,592 
			 Devon SW 73,623 
			 Dorset SW 31,452 
			 Gloucestershire SW 43,678 
			 Isles of Scilly SW 115 
			 North Somerset UA SW 10,861 
			 Plymouth UA SW 9,904 
			 Poole UA SW 9,229 
			 Somerset SW 63,488 
			 South Gloucestershire UA SW 17,669 
			 Swindon UA SW 9,459 
			 Torbay UA SW 7,201 
			 Wiltshire SW 34,641 
			 Birmingham WM 48,648 
			 Coventry WM 33,501 
			 Dudley WM 25,412 
			 Herefordshire UA WM 14,651 
			 Sandwell WM 15,401 
			 Shropshire WM 33,755 
			 Solihull WM 17,995 
			 Staffordshire WM 54,929 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA WM 16,627 
			 Telford and the Wrekin UA WM 10,101 
			 Walsall WM 27,378 
			 Warwickshire WM 29,093 
			 Wolverhampton WM 13,154 
			 Worcestershire WM 36,344 
			 Barnsley Y and H 14,664 
			 Bradford Y and H 27,652 
			 Calderdale Y and H 17,203 
			 Doncaster Y and H 16,866 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA Y and H 26,091 
			 Kingston upon Hull UA Y and H 15,951 
			 Kirklees Y and H 34,243 
			 Leeds Y and H 61,678 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA Y and H 12,007 
			 North Lincolnshire UA Y and H 22,617 
			 North Yorkshire Y and H 53,212 
			 Rotherham Y and H 18,887 
			 Sheffield Y and H 28,027 
			 Wakefield Y and H 24,673 
			 York UA Y and H 11,245

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average weight of a two-car train in the EU-15 was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Tom Harris: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

Rolling Stock: Safety

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the Health and Safety Executive's report on the safety of type 142 carriages; what assessment she has made of the suitability of type 142 stock for use on the Manchester-Southport line; what reports she has received of  (a) safety and  (b) overcrowding issues on this service; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Following the publication of the Health and Safety Executive report into the train accident at Winsford South Junction on 23 June 1999, the rail industry has taken forward a programme to make improvements to the crashworthiness of class 142 vehicles. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), the current regulator for rail safety, has been monitoring industry progress on implementing this programme.
	Train operating companies are responsible for deploying appropriate rolling stock to meet the capacity demands for the train services they operate. The ORR has received six complaints about safety and crowding issues on Northern Rail services generally since April 2007.

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 605W, on Severn Bridge: tolls, what defined amount is required to be raised by the Severn Bridge toll; and how much has been collected in tolls to date.

Rosie Winterton: The defined amount, known as the Required Cumulative Real Revenue, is 995,830,000. On the same basis (July 1989 prices), the Accumulative Real Revenue of tolls collected up until 1 July 2007 is 587,000,000.
	The final 2007 toll revenue figure is not yet available.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Relations: Islam

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Islamic scholars are employed by her Department to advise on the Prevent strand of Project Contest.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not employ any Islamic scholars to advise on the Prevent strand of Contest.

Council Tax: Parking

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what data the Valuation Office Agency collects for council tax valuation and revaluation purposes on  (a) off-street parking space,  (b) the number of parking spaces and  (c) the amount of garage space associated residential property.

John Healey: The Valuation Office Agency collects data on the number of  (a) off-street parking spaces,  (b) parking spaces and  (c) garage spaces which form part of a dwelling for the purpose of its responsibilities in maintaining the current council tax lists.

Council Tax: Payments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities in England do not allow council taxpayers to pay their council tax in cash over post office counters.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Accountancy

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what accounts were submitted for audit by her Department in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will place a copy of each submission in the Library.

Parmjit Dhanda: The audited resource accounts for 2006-07 (the last period available) were laid in the House of Commons on 12 July 2007, and published by the Stationery Office on that date (HC 836). They were published on the Communities website on 16 August 2007.

Departmental Expert Panels

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the members are of her Department's external expert panels.

Parmjit Dhanda: In response to the Department's capability review, the Department set up three expert panels to provide analytical advice in the following policy areas:
	(i) housing markets and planning;
	(ii) neighbourhoods, cities and regions; and
	(iii) housing and communities (social and affordable housing).
	Membership of the respective panels is shown in the following tables Al, A2 and A3 respectively.
	
		
			  Table Al: Membership of the Housing Markets and Planning Analysis (HMPA) Expert Panel 
			  Panel  Organisation  Notes 
			  Lead panel member 
			 Professor Michael Ball, Reading University  
			
			  Panel members 
			 David Adams Glasgow University  
			 Peter Bibby Sheffield University  
			 Neil Blake(1) Experian also on NCRA panel 
			 Glen Bramley Heriot Watt University  
			 Paul Cheshire(1) LSE also on NCRA panel 
			 Christopher Cobbold DTZ  
			 Simin Davoudi Newcastle University  
			 Danny Dorling(1) Sheffield University also on NCRA and HCA panel 
			 Alan Evans Reading University  
			 Diana Kasparova Policy Studies Institute  
			 Dave King Anglia University  
			 Philip Leather Salford University  
			 Chris Leishman Glasgow University  
			 Alex Marsh(1) Bristol University also on HCA panel 
			 Geoffrey Meen(1) Reading University also on NCRA panel 
			 John Muellbauer Oxford University  
			 Gwilym Pryce Glasgow University  
			 Yvonne Rydin UCL  
			 Christine Whitehead LSE  
			 Peter Williams(1) Independent Consultant Also on HCA panel 
			 Cecilia Wong Manchester University  
		
	
	
		
			  Table A2: Membership of the Neighbourhoods, Cities and Regions (NCRA) Expert Panel 
			  Panel  Organisation  Notes 
			  Lead panel member 
			 Michael Parkinson Liverpool John Moores University  
			
			  Panel members 
			 Neil Blake(1) Experian joint with HMPA 
			 Paul Cheshire(1) LSE joint with HMPA 
			 Ian Cole(1) Sheffield Hallam University joint with HCA 
			 Mike Coombes Newcastle University  
			 Danny Dorling(1) Sheffield University joint all three panels 
			 Ian Gordon LSE  
			 Anne Green Warwick University  
			 Carol Hayden Shared Intelligence  
			 Adrian Healy ECOTEC  
			 Paul Lawless(1) Sheffield Hallam University joint with HCA 
			 Geoff Meen(1) Reading University joint with HMPA 
			 Henry Overman LSE  
			 Anne Power LSE  
			 Patricia Rice Oxford University  
			 Graham Russell Amion  
			 Ludi Simpson Manchester University  
			 Stephen Syrett Middlesex University  
			 Vince Taylor Vince Taylor Assoc  
			 Ivan Turok Glasgow University  
			 Peter Tyler(1) Cambridge University joint with HCA 
		
	
	
		
			  Table A3: Membership of the Housing and Communities (HCA) Expert Panel 
			  Panel  Organisation  Notes 
			  Lead panel member 
			 Professor Mark Stephens York University  
			
			  Panel members 
			 Jeff Austin Independent Consultant  
			 Shaun Bennett Civis Consultants  
			 Bob Blackaby Independent Consultant  
			 Tim Blackman Durham University  
			 Ian Cole(1) Sheffield Hallam University also on NCRA panel 
			 David Cowan Bristol University  
			 Danny Dorling(1) Sheffield University also on NCRA and HMPA panel 
			 Suzanne Fitzpatrick York University  
			 Kenneth Gibb Glasgow University  
			 David Hall Tribal Group  
			 Adrian Jones Independent Researcher  
			 Michael Jones Cambridge University  
			 Paul Lawless Sheffield Hallam University also on NCRA panel 
			 Alex Marsh Bristol University also on HMPA panel 
			 Sarah Monk Cambridge University  
			 David Mullins Birmingham University  
			 David Ormandy Warwick University  
			 Hal Pawson Heriot Watt University  
			 Rob Rowlands Birmingham University  
			 Rebecca Tunstall LSE  
			 Peter Tyler(1) Cambridge University also on NCRA panel 
			 Peter Williams(1) Independent Consultant also on HMPA panel 
			 (1) Denotes membership of more than one expert panel

Derelict Land: Planning

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of the Statistical Note on Land Use Change of January 1985 on  (a) planning policy and  (b) planning decisions in relation to brownfield land.

Caroline Flint: Unfortunately my officials have been unable to identify a Statistical Note on Land Use Change from January 1985.
	Land Use Change Statistics (LUCS) have been collected since 1985, with the first report being published in 1986. Land use was divided into 24 categories and these categories are still used today.

Electronic Government

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the take-up rate has been of Government Connect by local authorities;
	(2)  what use her Department is making of Government Connect to share and transfer data with and to local authorities.

Parmjit Dhanda: Currently we have placed orders with Cable and Wireless for 111 connections for the Government Connect Secure Infrastructure (GCSx). This will provide GCSx services to 155 local authorities. This represents a local authority take-up of 35 per cent. across England and Wales. In due course we plan to connect to all local authorities.
	The initial piloting work between Government and local authorities is on housing benefits (lead by DWP). We expect the work to provide valuable lessons for further cross-government development of Government Connect.

Fire Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the FireControl Strategic Outline Business Case.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 31 January 2008
	A copy of the outline business case (published in November 2004) and the latest version 1.0. (published in June 2007) has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Fire Services: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the full combined costs, including VAT, are of the interim solutions for the  (a) FireControl and  (b) FireLink projects.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 31 January 2008
	There are prudent budgets in place within Firelink for achieving the Firelink interim solution and these amounts are commercially confidential at the present time. Expenditure for these purposes is not liable to VAT. There are no interim solutions for FiReControl.

Fire Services: Radio

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proposals there are for testing radio coverage from resilient base stations under the FireLink Project; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The contractor is responsible for undertaking coverage testing, and has submitted proposals to the FireLink Project team which are currently being considered.

Fire Services: Radio

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the outcome of discussions to date between her Department and the  (a) police and  (b) ambulance services on proposals for testing of radio coverage from resilient base stations under the FireLink Project has been; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: At a project level counterparts in the police and ambulance services have been made aware of our proposals for testing resilient base stations under the FireLink contract and are continuing on future options for joint testing.

Floods: Finance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of funding allocated to Gloucestershire for  (a) flood recovery and  (b) the introduction of flood prevention measures has been drawn down.  [Official Report, 18 February 2008, Vol. 472, c. 1MC.]

John Healey: To date 14,844,900 has been awarded to councils within Gloucestershire to support their recovery from the floods last summer. This includes 2,632,000 in Flood Recovery Grant, paid by the Department for Communities and Local Government to the county's six district councils to support flood affected communities. It is for authorities in receipt of grant to decide how to use and distribute any funding locally.
	Flood-affected local authorities have also been able to apply to Communities and Local Government for help through the Bellwin scheme which provides financial assistance to local authorities dealing with emergencies. Exceptionally, the terms of the present schemes have been made more generous because of the circumstances of the recent floods. Gloucestershire county council received an interim payment of 1.1 million to help with its costs in clearing up after last summer's floods and Gloucester city council received an interim payment of 114,000. Both may receive further payments once they submit final claims. Claims have also recently been received from Gloucestershire police, Worcester city council, Cheltenham borough council and Cotswold district council.
	Gloucestershire county council was allocated 1,007,900 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
	The Department of Transport has agreed to provide Gloucestershire with 10,000,000 for the repairs required to local roads. Assessments are continuing and further funding is expected to be confirmed when that work is complete.
	The Environment Agency's estimated annual spend in Gloucestershire on controlling development, flood warning and awareness, flood risk mapping, maintenance of flood defences and watercourses is 1.5 million. They have spent an estimated extra 400,000 in Gloucestershire since the summer floods of 2007 on flood recovery, data collection, watercourse maintenance and repairs to flood defence assets.

Floods: Insurance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the levels of insurance against flooding amongst public authorities who own public sector housing.

John Healey: We do not hold detailed information about local authority insurance provision.
	Local authorities have a duty under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 to ensure that they have a sound system of internal control which facilitates the effective exercise of their functions and which includes arrangements for the management of risk (regulation 4).
	Guidance issued by Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on local authority reserves and balances lists the adequacy of the authority's insurance arrangements to cover major unforeseen risks as one of the factors authorities should consider in deciding the level of their general reserves (LAAP Bulletin 55).
	This guidance is available at:
	http://www.cipfa.org.uk/pt/laap.cfm
	Communities and Local Government (CLG) wrote to all local authority chief executives on 15 November 2007 to recommend that they review their decisions in respect of insurance cover for flooding to ensure they are satisfied with the arrangements and level of cover in place in their authority. CLG suggested they do so whether or not they experienced flooding this year.

Government Offices for the Regions: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the administrative cost of the European Unit in each Government Office for the Regions was in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The administrative costs of the European Units in each Government Office in 2006-07 are set out in the following table. The cost figures reflect the different sizes of the programmes managed by each office.
	
		
			  Government Office for the Region  Administration costs () 
			 North East 1,032,561 
			 North West 1,277,243 
			 Yorks and Humber 1,274,343 
			 West Midlands 636,770 
			 East Midlands 943,851 
			 East 662,637 
			 South East 767,754 
			 South West 1,646,641 
			 London 972,525 
			 Total 9,214,325

Government Offices for the Regions: Manpower

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent staff work in the European Unit in each Government office for the regions.

Parmjit Dhanda: The latest figures available for the number of full-time equivalent staff working in the European Units of each Government office are as set out in the following table. The figures are for the FTE numbers in December 2007, with the exception of GO north-east when the information is from November 2007. The range of staff numbers reflects the different sizes of the programmes managed.
	
		
			  G overnment office  FTEs 
			 North East 48.5 
			 North West 79.6 
			 Yorks and Humber 38.6 
			 West Midlands 30.3 
			 East Midlands 37.3 
			 East 24.8 
			 South East 21.9 
			 South West 48.5 
			 London 29.4 
			 Total 358.9

Greater London Authority: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the  (a) Audit Commission,  (b) District Auditor and  (c) Local Government Ombudsman play in (i) auditing and (ii) considering complaints relating to (A) the Greater London Authority and (B) the London Development Agency.

John Healey: The information is as follows:
	 Audit Commission
	The Audit Commission is an independent body with statutory responsibilities to regulate the audit of local government bodies and NHS bodies in England. The Commission's statutory responsibilities in relation to audit are set out in the Audit Commission Act 1998. They are to:
	appoint auditors to local government and NHS bodies;
	prescribe how auditors should carry out their functions through a statutory Code of Audit Practice, which is approved by Parliament at five-yearly intervals;
	set scales of fees for audit work; and
	make arrangements for certifying grant claims and returns.
	The Commission appoints professionally qualified auditors, known as district auditors, from its own staff and also private firms of auditors. Once appointed, auditors carry out their statutory and other responsibilities, and are required by the Code of Audit Practice to exercise their professional judgment, independently of the Commission.
	The statutory independence of auditors means that the Commission cannot:
	interfere with an appointed auditor's exercise of his or her professional skill and judgment in performing his or her statutory functions;
	substitute its own judgments for those of an appointed auditor in the exercise of those functions; or
	direct an appointed auditor to act or to review his or her decisions, as only the courts have the powers to do so.
	The Commission appoints the auditors to the GLA and its associated bodies including the LDA.
	Quite apart from its audit functions, the Commission also has powers to carry out inspections of best value authorities (which include the LDA and some functions of the GLA) under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1999.
	 District auditors (a ppointed auditor)
	The Audit Commission Act 1998 sets out the specific statutory duties of appointed auditors. They are:
	to comply with the Code of Audit Practice;
	to give an opinion on the financial statements of the audited body;
	to satisfy themselves that the accounts comply with statutory requirements and have been compiled in accordance with proper practices;
	to satisfy themselves that the audited body has made proper arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources; and
	to certify completion of the audit.
	In addition, auditors of local government bodies have other statutory duties and powers:
	to consider issuing a public interest report about any matter that comes to their attention during the audit, which they judge should be considered by the audited body or brought to public attention;
	for local government bodies (which includes the GLA and LDA):
	(a) to decide whether the audited body should consider formally, and respond to in public, matters raised in an audit report;
	(b) to give electors the opportunity to raise questions about the accounts, and consider and decide on objections received from electors about the accounts; and
	(c) where unlawful expenditure has been or is about to be incurred by an audited body, to issue an advisory notice, to apply to the courts for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful or apply for judicial review.
	The Code of Audit Practice requires that where, in the course of an audit, representations are made to the auditor or information is provided that is relevant to the audit, or matters relevant to the audit otherwise come to their attention, auditors should consider whether the matter needs investigation and action.
	 Local Government Ombudsman
	The Local Government Ombudsman is an independent body charged by Part III of the Local Government Act 1974, as amended, with investigating complaints against local authorities, including the Greater London Authority and the London Development Agency, alleging maladministration causing injustice.

Greater London Authority: Standards

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Local Government Ombudsman can deal with complaints of maladministration by  (a) the London Development Agency and  (b) the Greater London Authority.

John Healey: Yes.

Green Belt: Planning

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Homes and Communities Agency is planned to have powers to  (a) remove green belt planning protection and  (b) approve planning applications for development on green belt land.

Caroline Flint: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will not have planning powers as of right. However, on the rare occasions that the Secretary of State determines to designate an area she may also choose to confer powers on the HCA which could be exercised in relation to any green belt in that area.
	The scope of the HCA's powers in relation to green belt will depend upon which planning functions are conferred upon the HCA in the designation order.
	If the designation order confers development plan functions on the HCA, it would be able to propose alterations to green belt boundaries through the development plan preparation process. However, this would involve a detailed process including public consultation and scrutiny by an independent planning inspector.
	Where the HCA is given the power to determine planning applications, the HCA would be able to determine whether development should be allowed in the green belt. Any such decision will need to be taken in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise and in particular the HCA will have to decide whether the benefits of the proposed development would outweigh the harm it would cause.
	In either situation, the HCA would be subject to the same requirements as any other local planning authority in terms of complying with the strong protection policies in PPG2.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to  (a) mark Holocaust Memorial Day and  (b) commemorate those who died in more recent genocides.

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department took to mark the  (a) Holocaust and  (b) more recent genocides on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Parmjit Dhanda: Both the Secretary of State and I attended the Holocaust Memorial Day 2008 national commemoration which took place on 27 January in Liverpool. The commemoration acknowledged the suffering experienced by the victims of other more recent atrocities including Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Homelessness

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much was given to local authorities for tackling homelessness in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what steps are being taken against local authorities who fail to meet departmental targets on reducing  (a) homelessness and  (b) the number of families residing in bed-and-breakfast accommodation;
	(3)  how many rough sleepers there were in Chorley borough in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  how much was allocated to Chorley borough council for tackling homelessness in each of the last five years; and how that funding has been spent.

Iain Wright: Revenue funding for local authority homelessness services is principally provided through revenue support grant which is unhypothecated. The Government additionally provide homelessness grants to support local housing authorities' strategies for tackling and preventing homelessness, including rough sleeping. Homelessness grants are also paid to support voluntary sector organisations tackling homelessness.
	The following table shows total allocations of homelessness grant, and allocations to Chorley borough council for each of the five years from 2003-04 to 2007-08.
	
		
			   Homelessness grant for local authorities and voluntary sector (m)  Homelessness grant for Chorley borough council (000) 
			 2007-08 74.0 30.0 
			 2006-07 67.0 23.0 
			 2005-06 59.5 23.0 
			 2004-05 60.6 23.0 
			 2003-04 70.9 30.8 
		
	
	On 5 December 2007, we announced homelessness grant funding of at least 150 million over the three years 2008-11 to continue to support local authorities and voluntary sector organisations to tackle and prevent homelessness in their area. This is the biggest ever cash injection for homelessness services.
	In addition, 90 million capital funding has been made available to local authorities in 2005-08 to improve hostels and day centres used by rough sleepers, to increase skills and training and to raise aspirations. A further 70 million capital funding is being made available in 2008-11 to build on the success of improving hostels and day centres.
	Chorley borough council carried out a rough sleeping count on 30 November 2007 and found no rough sleepers.
	We set a target for local authorities to end the use of BB accommodation for families with children for more than six weeks under the homelessness legislation. This target was achieved by 31 March 2004. Since 1 April 2004, the effect of the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 is that local authorities are no longer able to discharge a duty to secure accommodation under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) by placing families with children in bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than six weeks. Authorities may be challenged by homeless households and their representatives in the courts if they fail to comply.
	Local authorities are on track to meet our challenging target of halving the number of households living in temporary accommodation provided under the homelessness legislation (down to 50,500) by 2010.
	In cases where local authorities may be experiencing difficulties in tackling homelessness and meeting the Government's temporary accommodation target, this Department has a team of specialist homelessness advisers available to provide support and guidance.

Homelessness: Young People

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the proportion of 16 to 25-year-olds who were homeless in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by  (a) race,  (b) sex and  (c) sexual orientation.

Iain Wright: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households rather than persons. The number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty, is not collected by specific ages, but data are provided by the age band into which the applicant falls, the first of which is those applicants who are aged between 16 and 24-years-old (all applicants must be 16 or over). These data are provided in Table 10 of our Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, which is published on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 10 December 2007 and contains data for the period July to September 2007:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatisticsby/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data by age band are not disaggregated further by race, gender, or sexuality. However, the total number of accepted households is disaggregated by (a) ethnicity and (b) gender. These breakdowns are also provided in the Statistical Release (Tables 2 and 10).

Incinerators

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to local authorities on  (a) planning for and  (b) building of incinerators for waste disposal.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department has regular discussions with Communities and Local Government (CLG) about a wide range of issues, including sustainable waste management. Decisions on planning for residual waste treatment rest with local authorities rather than central Government. It is also local authorities, in conjunction with the waste industry, that build waste facilities.
	The number of new incinerators built will depend on the technologies and scale of facilities chosen by local authorities. Guidance on planning for waste facilities is contained within planning policy statement 10, published by CLG in July 2005.
	Recycling rates are growing fast, but there will always be some wastes that cannot be recycled. 11 per cent. of waste is currently incinerated in England, but an increase is likely to be needed to be able to meet landfill directive targets, despite big improvements in waste recycling and minimisation. Recovering energy from waste (including via incineration) offers a considerable climate change benefit compared to the alternative of landfill. This is primarily through avoided landfill methane emissions, with energy generated from the biodegradable fraction of waste also offsetting fossil fuel power generation.

Local Authorities: Publications

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1146W, on local authorities: publications, if she will place in the Library a copy of the pamphlet pack.

John Healey: A copy of Combating Misinformation Fact Cards for Local Authorities has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/combatingmisinformation.

Local Government Finance: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Government funding was allocated to Warrington borough council in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms in each of the last five years; and what the percentage increase in funding was in each such year (i) on each preceding year and (ii) taking 2000-01 as year one and 100 per cent.

John Healey: The central Government funding to Warrington borough council in each of the past five years in cash and real terms (at 2006-07 prices) and the percentage increase in funding in each such year on each preceding year and 2000-01 respectively is as follows.
	
		
			   000  Percentage increase on preceding year  Percentage increase on 2000-01  Index  (2000-01 =100) 
			  Cash terms 
			 2002-03 137,423 4.1 11.8 111.8 
			 2003-04 161,542 17.6 31.4 131.4 
			 2004-05 167,085 3.4 35.9 135.9 
			 2005-06 177,286 6.1 44.2 144.2 
			 2006-07 188,825 6.5 53.6 153.6 
			  
			  Real terms (2006-07 prices) 
			 2002-03 152,636 0.9 5.9 105.9 
			 2003-04 174,372 14.2 20.9 120.9 
			 2004-05 175,509 0.7 21.7 121.7 
			 2005-06 182,372 3.9 26.5 126.5 
			 2006-07 188,825 3.5 31.0 131.0 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns 
		
	
	The large difference between 2002-03 and 2003-04 is mainly due to the increase in revenue support grant and the introduction of Supporting People programme specific grant from 1 April 2003.
	Central Government funding is defined here as the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates) and specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services.
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
	The real terms figures have been revalued for years 2002-03 to 2005-06 at 2006-07 prices using the latest HM Treasury GDP deflators.
	Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.

Minister for London

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what visits the Minister for London has made to Hammersmith and Fulham in her capacity as such.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Minister for Olympics and London gave a keynote speech on Olympics and local area agreements in London at a conference organised by the Government Office for London, which was held at Chelsea Football Club in November 2007.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have used their discretionary powers to extend the houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing scheme to smaller than those required to be licensed by law HMOs.

Iain Wright: There have been no formal applications to the Department from local authorities seeking approval for additional HMO licensing schemes.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the commencement of the new regime on empty property business rates will entail tax liability on only properties which have been empty for three to six months after 1 April 2008.

John Healey: At present, the owner of any property that has been empty for more than three months is liable for empty property rates if none of the other exemptions apply. On and after April 1 2008, the owner of any property that has been empty for more than three months, or six months in the case of industrial buildings, will be liable for empty property rates if none of the exemptions apply. Regulations making the necessary changes will be laid shortly.

Planning Permission: Floods

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times planning decisions have been made contrary to the Environment Agency's advice on flood risk in the latest period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 229W.

Planning: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses from external organisations and individuals to the recent Planning White Paper consultation.

Caroline Flint: On 27 November we published the Government's response to consultation on the Planning White Paper. Alongside this report, we also published two detailed background papers. Background Paper A sets out an analysis of the consultation responses and Background Paper B a summary of other comments received on the White Paper and a list of respondents to the Planning White Paper. All these documents are available on the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyimplementation/reformplanningsystem/planningwhitepaper
	However, copies of the individual responses to the Planning White Paper, as discussed in these publications, have not been placed in the Library because of the volume we received. They are available for inspection at Communities and Local Government.

Property: Databases

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local billing authorities in England now transfer property information via the Valuebill interface to the Valuation Office Agency.

John Healey: All local billing authorities in England submit property identifiers to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) via the National Land and Property Gazetteer, utilising electronic interfaces developed in conjunction with Valuebill.
	In addition, since 1 January 2007, 147 local authorities in England have submitted billing authority reports to the Valuation Office Agency via electronic interfaces developed through Valuebill.

Rates and Rating

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Valuation Office Agency's definition is of an outbuilding for  (a) council tax valuation and  (b) business rate valuation purposes.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1731W.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by her Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government (CLG) and its predecessor the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) were created following the Machinery of Government changes on 5 May 2006 and 29 May 2002, respectively.
	CLG operates a general policy whereby the payment of any fixed penalty tickets (including parking tickets and speeding fines), either during the hire period of a vehicle or while a private car is being used on official business, is the responsibility of the individual undertaking the travel and not the Department. However, payment of parking tickets (not speeding fines) relating to allocated ministerial cars, incurred while carrying out official duties, is deemed to be the responsibility of the Department. Since the inception of ODPM, the annual amount incurred by the Department for payments of such parking tickets is as follows:
	
		
			
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 141.00 
			 2004-05 117.50 
			 2005-06 100.00 
			 2006-07 200.00 
			 2007-08 to date 110.00 
		
	
	Expenditure figures prior to 2002-03 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Smoke Alarms

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government have taken to encourage more people to fit smoke alarms since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The Government are committed to encouraging all households to have a working smoke alarm. My Department has invested 25 million over four years (2004-08) to provide fire and rescue services with capital grants to install smoke alarms in the most vulnerable homes. The long-standing Fire Kills media campaign has as its central focus the importance of working smoke alarms and is currently running a TV advertising campaign to raise levels of awareness.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures are in place to prevent conflicts of interest arising following meetings and other contacts between her Ministers and officials and representatives of housebuilding companies seeking to build eco-towns; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: At this stage in the process, my officials are working with colleagues in other Departments and agencies to undertake a cross-government review of the eco-towns expressions of interest. Where necessary, they have been contacting developers to seek clarification of information submitted in the expression of interest. They are also contacting local authorities in the relevant areas covered by proposed eco-town schemes. Following this, we will publish proposals for public consultation, involving local authorities, wider stakeholders and the public before the process is completed.
	When potential sites have been identified, they will be determined in the normal way under the Planning Acts, and as set out in the Eco-towns Prospectus, there may be circumstances where use of the New Towns Act might be used. I can assure the hon. Member that Ministers and officials will abide by the usual rules of propriety that relate to planning matters during this stage of the process.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings and other contacts have taken place between representatives of Eagle Star and her Ministers and officials in relation to eco towns over the course of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what representations her Department has received from Co-operative Estates on the proposed development near Great Glen in Leicestershire; and what meetings have taken place between her Department and Co-operative Estates on the development;
	(2)  what recent representations her Department has received from QinetiQ on the proposed development near Throckmorton in Worcestershire; and what meetings have taken place between her Department and QinetiQ on the development;
	(3)  what recent representations her Department has received from Banks Developments on the proposed development near Cambois; and what meetings have taken place between her Department and Banks Developments on the development;
	(4)  what representations her Department has received from GMI Property on the proposed development near Selby in Yorkshire; and what meetings officials from her Department have had with GMI Property where the development has been discussed;
	(5)  what  (a) representations her Department has received from and  (b) meetings her Department's representatives have had with representatives of Hallam Land Management and Commercial Estates Group in relation to the proposed development in Clifton Moor, Yorkshire.

Caroline Flint: As one of a number of housing initiatives under way the Government are considering eco-towns, and as part of this have sought expressions of interest from developers and local authorities. To reveal the details of recent meetings and representations from developers when this process is under way would have the potential to be detrimental to the process, and those that have put forward eco-towns proposals.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Valuation Office Agency paid to Rightmove.co.uk plc in 2006-07.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the Valuation Office Agency's published Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, available on the VOA's website. Total payment for the year is shown at page 60 under 'Other Operating Costs' against the cost head of 'Data Capture'.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Telephone Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what agencies under his Department's responsibilities use (a) 0845 and (b) 0870 telephone codes for customer enquiries; how many 0845 or 0870 telephone codes each agency uses; and how much revenue was generated by each of these codes for each agency in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Rob Marris) on 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 248W.

Disadvantaged

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what definition of multiple exclusion the Government use; and what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of  (a) working age and  (b) older people who meet this definition;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of those defined as socially excluded who are  (a) children,  (b) adults under state pension age and  (c) adults over state pension age.

Phil Hope: There are a number of ways to measure exclusion. One method is to look at people or places that have a combination of linked problems, such as unemployment, discrimination, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown. Recent analysis by the Social Exclusion Task Force found that around 140,000 families with children (or 2 per cent. of all families with children) in Britain experienced five or more disadvantages in 2004.
	Previous work commissioned by the former Social Exclusion Unit found that approximately 1.86 million (or 5.2 per cent.) of working age adults in Britain experienced five or more disadvantages in 2003, down from 2.43 million (or 7 per cent.) in 1997. For pensioners this was 1.8 million people (or 16.8 per cent.), down from 2.37 million (or 23 per cent.) in 1997.
	The Social Exclusion Task Force is currently conducting work to update these figures and these will be available in the summer.

Itis Holdings

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what payments the Cabinet Office has made to Itis Holdings in the last 36 months.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office has not made any payments to Itis Holdings in the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	Details of any payments made in 2007-08 will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2008 summer recess.

Official Residences: Admiralty House

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Office has taken steps to rent out the two empty ministerial residences in Admiralty House.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 24 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 2175-6W.

Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the value was of each grant provided by his Department, its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council,  (b) Shropshire county council and (c) Telford and the Wrekin borough council in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and what grants have been planned for 2008-09.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office did not make any grant payments to  (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council,  (b) Shropshire county council and  (c) Telford and the Wrekin borough council in 2006-07.
	Figures for 2007-08 will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2008 summer recess.
	Budgets for 2008-09, including plans for grant payments, will only be finalised following completion of the Cabinet Office's business planning round.

Social Exclusion Unit: Finance

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the budget was for the work of the Social Exclusion Unit and the Social Exclusion Taskforce for each year since 1997; and what the planned budget is for each year covered by the 2007 to 2011 comprehensive spending review.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 917W; the answers given by the then Minister for Local Government (Mr. Woolas) to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on 8 May 2006,  Official Report, column 105W and to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 31 October 2006,  Official Report, column 292W; and the answer given by the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Leslie) to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 13 March 2003,  Official Report, column 420W.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Organisations

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will consider the merits of providing financial support to arts organisations in the North of England affected by the decision of the Northern Rock Foundation to stop funding arts and heritage projects.

Margaret Hodge: My Department's support for the arts is channelled through Arts Council England. The Arts Council operates at arm's length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them.
	The Arts Council is aware of the potential impact of the loss of Northern Rock funding in Cumbria and is actively in discussion with partners and arts organisations in the area to assess the risks and how they can best be addressed.

Cultural Heritage

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Government Ministers or other departmental appointees hold responsibilities for decisions relating to requests from foreign  (a) Governments and  (b) cultural institutions relating to artefacts in the collections of British museums.

Margaret Hodge: It is a long-standing policy of successive Governments in the UK that decisions relating to museum collections are for museum trustees to take, and the Government do not intervene. The Secretary of State appoints some museum trustees but appointments are also made by the Prime Minister, Her Majesty the Queen and others.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: The expenditure on advertising as a percentage of the Department's gross administration cost in each of the last 10 years is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Percentage of gross administration costs 
			 2006-07 0.34 
			 2005-06 0.38 
			 2004-05 0.34 
			 2003-04 0.58 
			 2002-03 0.56 
			 2001-02 0.05 
			 2000-01 0.07 
			 1999-2000 0.16 
			 1998-99 0.23 
			 1997-98 0.32

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  2005 
			  Consultants  Contract  Value ()  Availability 
			 Opis Renewal Consulting Framework for NDPB reviews 66,900 Published on DCMS website 
			 Hedra PLC NDPB governancedrafting of good practice guidance 47,600 No published report. 
			 Pricewaterhouse- Coopers Sponsorship of British Library 24,000 Internal report 
			 KPMG Olympic Games cost validation 255,000 Internal report 
			 Ubiqus Summary of consultation exercise re: BBC charter review 38,500 Incorporated into final BBC review. Already public 
			 Verdus Public appointments advice 14,000 No report required. 
			 Rockpools Executive recruitment 30,000 No report required 
			 Pricewaterhouse- Coopers Assessment of fees of be charged by authorities under 2003 Licensing Act 29,500 Internal Report 
			 Precedent Development of DCMS e-communication strategy 27,400 Internal Report 
		
	
	
		
			  2006 
			  Consultants  Contract  Value ()  Availability 
			 Frontier Economics Economic impact of DCMS cultural investment 55,000 Published on DCMS website 
			 Pricewaterhouse- Coopers Review of library standards 99,000 Used to produce consultation document published by MLA 
			 Deloitte Olympic programme assurance 50,000 Internal report 
			 Frontier Economics Live music impact study 42,700 Published on DCMS website 
			 Frontier Economics Creative industries analysis 50,000 Published on DCMS website 
			 BMG Preparation for digital switchover of residential and nursing care homes 40,000 Published on DCMS website 
			 Hedra IT consultancy support 71,000 Internal report 
			 Pricewaterhouse- Coopers Development of London 2012 sustainability plan 30,000  
			 Atisreal Property/estates advice 246,000 Internal report 
		
	
	
		
			  2007 
			  Consultants  Contract  Value ()  Availability 
			 Odgers Ray and Berndston Executive search/recruitment for chair of ODA 35,000 No report 
			 Saxton Bamfylde Hever Recruitment of chair of English Heritage 36,000 No report 
			 Pricewaterhouse- Coopers Assessment of costs and benefits of World Heritage Site (UK) 69,000 Currently ongoing 
			 Deloitte Review of Olympic programme support unit 99,000 Internal report 
			 Deloitte Review of ICT security review and compliance 76,000 Internal report 
			 Ql Consulting Development of DCMS ICT strategy 16,200 Internal report 
			 Work Foundation Consultancy on creative economy programme Green Paper 49,000 Published on DCMS website 
			 Ql Consulting Security audit of business continuity planning 27,300 Internal report 
			 Stanton Marris DCMS board awayday strategy 24,000 Internal report 
			 TFG Expert advice of lessons learned from Sydney Olympics 80,000 Project ongoing 
			 OCR LLP Specialist advice on horserace betting levy 59,400 Internal report 
			 Deloitte DCMS transformation programme 126,000 Project ongoing 
			 Brian McMaster Review of excellence in the arts 30,000 Published on DCMS website 
			 University College London Scoping study into climate change 8,000 Project ongoing

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many external contracts his Department held with public relations companies in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost of those contracts was.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department held no external contracts with public relations companies between 1998 and 2002, and therefore spent no money on this.
	The Department has two external contracts with public relations companies since 2002, one relating to the digital switchover campaign, aimed at increasing public awareness of digital switchover, and the other on a licensing campaign aimed at small businesses to increase awareness of the implications of the Licensing Act.
	The costs of those contracts are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Campaign  Spend () 
			 2004-05 Digital Switchover 117,500.05 
			 2005-06 Digital Switchover 258,500.00 
			 2005-06 Licensing Communications 36,648.25 
			 2006-07 Digital Switchover 84,600

Departmental Research

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) subject and  (b) cost was of each research contract his Department has commissioned since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 January 2008
	Our records show the following research projects were commissioned by my Department since 2001. We do not have sufficient information to provide comparable data for earlier years.
	
		
			  Subject  Cost () 
			 Lottery Grants Pilot Study 15,000 
			 Evaluation of the Impact of the National Lottery 18,000 
			 Economics of Gambling 17,000 
			 Regional Cultural Data Framework 52,000 
			 Live music baseline survey 127,000 
			 Olympic Bid Market Research 36,000 
			 Role and Contribution of Culture to Regeneration in UK 19,000 
			 Tourism Productivity Study 46,000 
			 Scoping Survey of Culture and Sport in the UK 43,000 
			 Gambling Survey 11,000 
			 Critical Review of Research Literature on Machine Gaming by Children 30,000 
			 Olympic Games Impact Study - Stated Preference Analysis 129,000 
			 Olympic Games Impact StudyComputable Equilibrium Project 25,000 
			 Olympic Games Impact StudyMulti-criteria and programme summary 72,000 
			 Digital SwitchoverSocial Housing Issues Survey 36,000 
			 Review of Academic Literature on Social Capital and DCMS Sectors 4,000 
			 Arts and Criminal Justice Feasibility Study 20,000 
			 Research on Public Perceptions of the BBC 24,000 
			 Research on Impact of Violent Computer Games 5,000 
			 Mental Health Research 33,000 
			 Taking Part Survey (2005-08) 4,476,000 
			 Digital Switchover Technical Trial: Research on Vulnerable Households 38,000 
			 Access to finance for music SMEs 25,000 
			 DCMS Bolton Digital Switchover Trial Research Report 20,000 
			 Gambling Study 54,000 
			 Gambling StudyShort Screen for Problem Gambling (1)83,000 
			 Drivers of Tourism Demand 29,000 
			 Economic Impact of DCMS Cultural Investment 55,000 
			 Knowledge economy 25,000 
			 Creative Industries Analysis 50,000 
			 Literature Review for humanitarian assistance 16,000 
			 Live Music Economic Impact Study 9,000 
			 BBC Charter Review Research Tender 50,000 
			 Digital Switchoversocial housing issues survey 51,000 
			 Live MusicSmall venues experience of Licensing 91,000 
			 A literature review and survey on remote gambling 30,000 
			 Library Standard Review Work 100,000 
			 Cultural Pathfinder outcomes 44,000 
			 The Casinos Scoping Study 50,000 
			 7/7 Evaluation Project 15,000 
			 Emergency preparedness 29,000 
			 Literature review on understanding demand for culture among key groups 29,000 
			 Library performance indicators 60,000 
			 Museum Performance Indicators 29,000 
			 Creative Industries Scoping Studyspillover 35,000 
			 Creative Industries Scoping Studydirect links 10,000 
			 Understanding perceptions of secondary markets 25,000 
			 Impact of large-scale sports facilities capital programme 15,000 
			 International aspects of the Creative Industries 85,000 
			 Digital Switchovercommunal housing issues survey 47,000 
			 World Heritage site status 29,000 
			 Impact of Licensing Act on Live Music follow up survey 97,000 
			 Olympics Legacy market research 147,000 
			 NDPB Working Together survey 5,000 
			 Climate change impacts on our sectors 5,000 
			 Taking Part Scoping Study 20,000 
			 Voluntary arts sector 45,000 
			 (1) US$. 
		
	
	Some of the research was carried out in collaboration with other organisations, in which case only the DCMS contribution is shown.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to ensure that those groups of people who are eligible for assistance from the digital television switchover help scheme will receive it.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The Help Scheme will assist the over-75s and those with significant disabilities (including the blind or visually impaired) to convert to digital TV services.
	The Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007 allows the Department of Work and Pensions to share social security information with the BBC and local authorities to disclose information from their registers of blind and partially sighted people. This will enable the help scheme contractor appointed by the BBC to identify people who are eligible for support and ensure that direct communications can be targeted to the right people.
	In addition to direct mailings to those identified as eligible, the help scheme contractor and Digital UK will work through advertising campaigns, help lines, and local and community organisations to give further information and advice about the scheme including eligibility.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that preparations for digital switchover take into account the benefits for older and disabled people of access to electronic communications; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Government take digital inclusion very seriously and have announced a help scheme to assist the over-75s and those with significant disabilities, including the blind and visually impaired to convert to digital television.
	Including access to electronic communications could make the help scheme more complex, more expensive and more difficult to communicate effectively. However, we will continue to review this option along with other new and emerging technologies to help ensure that the equipment provided by the scheme best suits the needs and interests of older and disabled people.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 24 July 2007,  Official Report, column 950W, on the digital switchover help scheme, on how many occasions the Emerging Technologies Group has met; how often they meet; and when they will next meet.

Andy Burnham: There has been one introductory meeting of the Emerging Technologies Group so far (27 September 2007). It meets at least twice per year, with the next meeting scheduled for the 27 February 2008.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Copeland

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) integrated digital televisions and  (b) personal video recorders have been provided in the Copeland area as part of the digital switchover targeted assistance scheme.

Andy Burnham: The numbers are as follows:
	 (a) 68
	 (b) 63.

English Heritage

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding English Heritage received in each year since 1997, expressed in 2007-08 prices.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is set out in the following tables:
	
		
			  DCMS grant in aid 
			   million 
			   Actual amount  Amount in 2007-08 prices 
			 1997-98 105.2 135.1 
			 1998-99 102.4 128.3 
			 1999-2000 112.6 138.3 
			 2000-01 119.0 144.1 
			 2001-02 110.4 130.6 
			 2002-03 116.4 133.5 
			 2003-04 119.4 133.1 
			 2004-05 127.9 138.7 
			 2005-06 129.1 137.2 
			 2006-07 141.3 145.9 
			  Notes:  1. Figures for 1997-98 to 1999-2000 inclusive are from DCMS' Appropriation Accounts.  2. Figures 2000-01 to 2006-07 are from DCMS Resource Accounts and represent the net total of money paid by DCMS to English Heritage from public funds.  3. 1997-98 and 1998-99 include 10.7 million per annum for the Royal Commission for Historic Monuments of England (RCHME). RCHME merged with English Heritage in 1999.  4. 2006-07 includes 7.8 million additional grant-in-aid receivable from DCMS for relocation derived from the one-off surrender of the lease on the previous London headquarters building.  5. Prices have been deflated using HM Treasury's GDP deflator series. For all years up to 2006-07 this is calculated from ONS outturn data for current and constant price GDP. 
		
	
	
		
			  Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund( 1) 
			   million 
			   Actual  a mount  Amount in 2007-08 prices 
			 2002-03 5.2 6.0 
			 2003-04 3.5 3.9 
			 2004-05 3.9 4.2 
			 2005-06 3.6 3.8 
			 2006-07 3.1 3.2 
			 (1) This is public funding which English Heritage has been distributing, on behalf of DEFRA, since 2002-03.

Horse Racing: Betting

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to announce his determination of the horserace betting levy for the next financial year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 February 2008
	We are taking full account of the arguments that have been put to us by the British Horseracing Authority, the Bookmakers' Committee and the independent members of the Horserace Betting Levy Board, and I hope to be able to make an announcement very soon.

Planning Permission: Playing Fields

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 19W, on planning permission: playing fields, if he will break down the planning applications considered by Sport England by region.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 February 2008
	In addition to my written answers to the hon. Member for Bath on Planning Permission: Playing Fields of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1167-68W and 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 20W, the table shows the total number of planning applications on playing fields on which Sport England were consulted for all years since 2001, broken down by region, and for which we have published data. For each year the table includes the number of planning applications that have been approved, rejected or withdrawn and applications yet to be decided. Many of these applications are from clubs/schools wanting to improve the quality of their sports facilities.
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 East 88 116 144 197 
			 East Midlands 112 140 137 151 
			 London 39 59 59 40 
			 North East 71 74 96 85 
			 North West 145 193 175 72 
			 South East 162 234 237 227 
			 South West 73 83 181 149 
			 West Midlands 161 213 194 199 
			 Yorkshire 134 185 190 151 
			 Total 985 1,297 1,413 1,271

Sport England: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to his Department's press release of 12 October 2007, how much funding Sport England will receive from the comprehensive spending review settlement in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms until 2011.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows how much Exchequer funding in cash terms Sport England will receive from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport following the comprehensive spending review settlement:
	
		
			   (a) Cash terms  ( million) 
			 2007-08 115.9 
			 2008-09 133.2 
			 2009-10 130.2 
			 2010-11 128.2 
		
	
	In 2007-08 prices, the above figures in real terms are as follows:
	
		
			   (b) Real terms  ( million) 
			 2007-08 115.9 
			 2008-09 129.6 
			 2009-10 123.4 
			 2010-11 118.4 
		
	
	Provision for 2010-11 is 2.1 per cent. above that for 2007-08 in real terms. The cash increases against the 2007-08 baseline reflect additional resource funding for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's contribution to the 5 Hour Offer. This amounts to 39.95 million over the CSR 2007 period and will be jointly delivered with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (which is contributing an additional 60 million).

Television

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what date he expects the BBC high definition television channel to be fully operational.

Andy Burnham: This is a matter for the BBC. The Trust will consider early this year the options for when the nine-hour service can become available on Freeview. This work will link closely to the results of Ofcom's recent consultation, The Future of Digital Terrestrial Television.

Tourism: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement with VisitBritain on his Department's progress towards the target of creating a 100 billion tourism industry by 2010.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 1 February 2008
	VisitBritain is currently leading a Strategic Review of the 350 million that the public sector puts into tourism support across the UK. The Review includes a full consideration of the best use of VisitBritain's funding allocation in supporting the tourism industry, and increasing its turnover faster than would be the case without marketing and other support at national level.

Tourism: Productivity

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made towards achieving his Department's target to improve the productivity of the tourism, creative and leisure industries; and what measures he has put in place to ensure the target is met.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 1 February 2008
	DCMS seek to improve the productivity of tourism, creative industries and leisure industries with key projects designed to impact on its sponsored industries. Projects include, for example, the implementation of the Licensing Act, Gambling Act and the digital switchover.
	Examples of work to support the tourism sector and its productivity include the work we have done with VisitBritain and the Tourism Industry Emergencies Response Group to improve the response to emergencies; the work we have done with local authorities to implement the Good Practice Guide on planning for tourism and the work to firstly prepare and now implement our tourism strategy for 2012 Winning: A Tourism Strategy for 2012 and Beyond.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to launch his consultation on the replacement of air passenger duty with a tax payable per plane rather than per passenger as outlined in PBRN 24 on 9 October 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 24 January 2008
	 At pre-Budget report 2007 the Chancellor announced the intention to replace air passenger duty with a new duty charged per plane rather than per passenger, on 1 November 2009. The aim of this reform is to send better environmental signals and ensure aviation makes a greater contribution to covering its environmental costs, while continuing to ensure that the aviation industry makes a fair contribution towards the cost of public services.
	The pre-Budget report also set out the intention to consult on this issue and I announced to the House by written ministerial statement the publication of a formal consultation document on 31 January 2008,  Official Report, column 22WS. This may be viewed on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Consultations_and_Legislation/consult_index.cfm.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to HM Revenue and Customs has been of the police investigation into the loss of child benefit data.

Angela Eagle: The investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service has not yet been concluded, and HMRC are not in a position to confirm the costs at this time.

Credit Unions

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures are in place to encourage more credit unions to be set up.

Angela Eagle: The Government support credit unions and other third sector lenders through the Financial Inclusion Growth Fund. More than 40 million has been provided to date with a further 38 million committed for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. This funding will include provision of capital to new lenders. In addition, the UK high street banks have committed to support the development of new third sector lending provision in 25 high priority areas identified by the Financial Inclusion Taskforce. The Government are currently reviewing credit union legislation to ensure that the sector has a legislative framework that will facilitate its growth and expansion.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Wikipedia entries have been  (a) created and  (b) amended (i) by (A) special advisers, (B) Ministers and (C) communications officials and (ii) from IP addresses of (X) special advisers, (Y) Ministers and (Z) communications officials in (aa) his Department and (bb) its agencies since August 2005.

Angela Eagle: Entries to Wikipedia can be created and amended by an individual from any computer that has access to the internet. Therefore the information requested is not held and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The following table updates a previous answer given to the hon. Gentleman on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 218W, to give bonuses paid to staff by Department/agency. Further to the previous answer, the table includes data for National Savings and Investments, OGC Buying Solutions and amended figures for the Office of Government Commerce:
	
		
			  Department/Agency  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			 Debt Management Office 179,673 166,654 157,259 134,278 97,610 
			 Government Actuary's Department(1) 22,500 
			 HM Revenue and Customs(2) 18,960,303 11,047,400 13,363,285 1,115,723  
			 HM Treasury 1,103,000 967,000 972,000 704,000 627,000 
			 National Savings and Investments(3) 362,434 350,292
			 Office for National Statistics(2) 735,871 248,219 360,473 381,830;  
			 Office of Government Commerce 322,727 282,264 168,250 153,000 123,200 
			 OGC Buying Solutions 383,457 357,584 325,024 307,581 277,062 
			 Royal Mint 4,802 40,073 22,258 10,752 0 
			 Valuation Office Agency 114,100 0 0 320,218 276,829 
			 Total 22,188,867 13,459,486 15,368,549 3,127,382 1,401,701 
			 (1) Data for the Government Actuary's Department are not available for the period 2002-03 to 2005-06. (2) Data for HM Revenue and Customs and the Office for National Statistics are not available for 2002-03. (3) Data for National Savings and Investments are not available for the period 2002-03 to 2004-05.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce fuel duty in remote and peripheral areas which are highly dependent upon private transport.

Angela Eagle: Fuel duty policy is set as part of Chancellor's annual Budget decision-making process for consistent application across the United Kingdom and there are no plans to change this approach.
	The balance of factors includes the equitability of preferential rates' application between regions, the consistency of environmental signalling and the potential administrative burdens. These factors tend to weigh against the case for preferential rates of fuel duty for remote regions of the United Kingdom.

Far Eastern Investment Corporation

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Richard Branson's consortium for Northern Rock includes the Far Eastern Investment Corporation.

Angela Eagle: Details of the members of the Virgin consortium can be found at the Virgin Money and Northern Rock plc. websites.

Financial Services Authority: Northern Rock

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Financial Services Authority officials involved in regulating Northern Rock during the last two years  (a) have left the organisation,  (b) have received bonuses and  (c) are on permanent sick leave.

Angela Eagle: The matters raised in this question are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day-to-day operations are independent from government control and influence. I have asked the chief executive of the FSA to write to the hon. Member on the issue he raises.

National Identity Register

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to make use of data on the National Identity Register when it is established; and what the estimated annual cost to his Department of that use is.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury will be working with the Home Office prior to the introduction of the National Identity Scheme to establish how identity information held on the proposed National Identity Register might be of assistance. It is too early in the process to establish the detailed costs and benefits.

Northern Rock

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instigate an investigation into the sale of Northern Rock shares in relation to share price changes on the stock market.

Angela Eagle: The principal body responsible for the investigation of possible insider dealing and other market abuse is the Financial Services Authority, which looks into any suspicious activity associated with significant stock price movements.

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts were awarded by his Department and the agencies for which it is responsible to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the date of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department or agency in each case.

Angela Eagle: Opinion Leader Research is an approved supplier of research and development services under a framework agreement awarded by HM Revenue and Customs and available for use by other Government Departments. The framework was awarded by using fair and open competition in accordance with the EU procurement directives. Ministers were not involved in the selection process for either the places on the framework agreement nor the individual contracts called-off from that agreement.
	For the Treasury's contracts with Opinion Leader Research, I refer to the answers given by the then Financial Secretary (John Healey) to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 196W, and to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1495W.
	Since 1997, the Office for National Statistics has commissioned two research projects with Opinion Leader Research. The details of the projects are:
	1. Civil partnership registrationvalue 10,000 excluding VAT. The contract was awarded on 19 May 2005. This work was not tendered as it was within the threshold of the framework whereby competition is not required. The work was completed by 13 July 2005.
	2. Utilisation of content on National Statistics websitevalue 37,000 excluding VAT. The work was put out to tender on 25 May 2006. The contract was awarded on 12 June 2006 and the work was completed by 11 September 2006.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was created on the 18 April 2005 from the former departments of HM Customs  Excise and Inland Revenue.
	Spend for contracts awarded to Opinion Leader Research by the former Inland Revenue and since 2005 by HMRC totals 617,616 (excluding VAT). The data requested are in the following table.
	None of the other Chancellor's departments or agencies have had any contracts with Opinion Leader Research in the last three years. Information on contracts, if any, with Opinion Leader Research back to 1997 could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost due to changes of accounting systems in the intervening years.
	
		
			  Former Inland Revenue and HMRC contracts with Opinion Leader Research 
			  Project title  Year  Cost excluding VAT ()  Date put to tender  Date awarded to OLR  Work carried out (contract start to final payment)  Completed and findings put to the Department 
			 CSPI employers 2002-03 31,843.00 August 2002 September 2002 September 202 to February 2003 February 2003 
			 Call-off contract (capital allowances tax law rewrite 2003-04 12,382.50 n/a (1) (1) (1) 
			 Call-off contract (capital taxes) 2003-04 14,595.01 n/a (1) (1) (1) 
			 LBO CT customers (qualitative) 2003-04 and 2004-05 27,678.00 November 2003 February 2004 January 2004 to April 2004 (1) 
			 Tax credit claimants and overpayments 2004-05 19,376.00 November 2004 November 2004 November 2004 to December 2004 January 2005 
			 Call-off contractevolution 2004-05 50,925.01 n/a (1) February 2005 to March 2005 (1) 
			 Call-off contractTLR/CM 2004-05 27,150.00 n/a January 2005 January 2005 to February 2005 (1) 
			 Call-off contractnational minimum wage 2004-05 25,462.50 n/a (1) (1) (1) 
			 Call-off contract (capital taxes) 2004-05 6,255.01 n/a (1) April 2004 (1) 
			 Solicitors practice in recording stamp duty land tax 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 56,450.00 November 2004 February 2005 February 2005 to June 2006 December 2006 
			 New taxpayers (research and evaluation to support PSA1) 2004-05.and 2005-06 92,057.00 August 2004 December 2004 December 2004 to October 2005 (1) 
			 Agents and IR online services 2004-05 and 2005-06 57,400.00 November 2004 February 2005 February 2005 to October 2005 January 2006 
			 Student loans deduction 2004-05 40,945.00 n/k April 2004 (1) (1) 
			 Research in support of the review of HMRC links with medium sized business 2005-06 39,275.00 n/k May 2005 May 2005 to October 2005 December 2005 
			 Evaluation of working with the voluntary and community sector to promote take-up of new tax credits among hard to reach groups 2005-06 and 2006-07 60,708.00 August 2005 September 2005 September 2005 to August 2006 May 2006 
			 Investigation of reporting of changes of circumstances and understanding of tax credits 2006-07 and 2007-08 55,213.50 October 2006 November 2006 November 2006 to July 2007 Report awaiting final quality assurance and sign off within the Department 
			  Total 617,715.53 
			 (1) Data not held centrally so could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from prostate cancer there were in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) Government Office region and  (b) age group.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from prostate cancer there have been in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a)Government Office Region and  (b) age group. (184249)
	The table attached provides the numbers of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death by  (a) government office region, and  (b) age group from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1 :  Number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death( 1) , by Government Office Region and age group, 1997-2006( 2, 3) 
			  Deaths 
			  GOR  Age  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  North East 50 2 0 2 1 2 0 0 3 1 1 
			  50-54 2 3 4 3 4 1 2 2 3 2 
			  55-59 6 8 12 6 4 5 7 15 6 9 
			  60-64 22 15 27 21 32 25 17 18 21 20 
			  65-69 41 44 42 35 26 35 28 41 29 42 
			  70-74 67 80 63 64 60 62 65 71 55 82 
			  75-79 84 92 84 81 94 84 95 115 86 98 
			  80-84 71 63 52 73 85 104 98 90 93 91 
			  85+ 73 81 88 68 76 97 89 102 98 121 
			  Total 368 386 374 352 383 413 401 457 392 466 
			 
			  North West 50 4 5 2 4 4 6 3 1 6 2 
			  50-54 3 8 9 11 11 8 8 10 8 7 
			  55-59 23 17 27 20 26 17 21 19 24 29 
			  60-64 52 61 55 64 50 48 54 44 57 48 
			  65-69 98 107 106 108 117 91 93 82 102 82 
			  70-74 194 170 185 163 168 155 151 143 161 150 
			  75-79 217 232 248 257 230 236 206 214 202 223 
			  80-84 214 213 191 205 253 231 248 263 264 232 
			  85+ 226 234 218 232 268 285 269 286 285 243 
			  Total 1,031 1,047 1,041 1,064 1,127 1,077 1,053 1,62 1,109 1,016 
			 
			  Yorkshire and The Humber 50 4 0 0 0 2 3 2 1 4 3 
			  50-54 6 10 10 6 4 8 5 9 4 4 
			  55-59 13 11 10 11 11 11 11 12 25 26 
			  60-64 33 40 34 34 36 25 45 43 42 31 
			  65-69 77 67 76 69 77 73 79 80 68 '61 
			  70-74 150 145 145 122 111 122 125 119 113 130 
			  75-79 184 181 209 175 168 181 173 174 157 169 
			  80-84 168 147 149 158 152 156 210 216 180 206 
			  85+ 175 154 156 195 195 205 240 202 202 228 
			  Total 810 755 789 770 756 784 890 856 795 858 
			 
			  East Midlands 50 3 2 0 1 0 4 1 1 1 3 
			  50-54 8 4 7 5 4 9 8 8 7 2 
			  55-59 12 14 11 14 13 16 14 13 22 17 
			  60-64 33 25 38 31 33 31 33 30 29 33 
			  65-69 66 69 68 71 50 62 45 65 66 49 
			  70-74 121 99 114 118 105 111 132 112 101 107 
			  75-79 149 157 146 161 170 150 149 153 145 154 
			  80-84 155 141 133 148 144 157 191 176 188 187 
			  85+ 154 183 161 136 168 192 208 204 196 205 
			  Total 701 694 678 685 687 732 781 762 755 757 
			  West Midlands
			  50 2 2 1 1 5 1 0 3 1 1 
			  50-54 2 4 1 6 9 9 8 6 1 4 
			  55-59 25 14 14 16 19 17 17 18 14 19 
			  60-64 28 35 41 31 35 49 44 41 35 53 
			  65-69 82 87 78 86 71 69 91 73 58 95 
			  70-74 167 147 148 122 161 131 130 124 137 127 
			  75-79 199 204 216 217 202 185 195 197 191 174 
			  80-84 189 217 175 160 228 217 221 231 206 207 
			  85+ 157 174 191 196 225 232 242 237 246 280 
			  Total 851 884 865 835 955 910 948 930 889 960 
			 
			  East of England 50 0 1 1 1 3 1 5 1 1 2 
			  50-54 6 9 5 5 8 5 0 3 4 5 
			  55-59 21 19 14 15 15 24 16 17 20 22 
			  60-64 30 40 31 46 40 52 34 36 32 32 
			  65-69 83 68 66 78 84 77 95 73 83 80 
			  70-74 141 132 138 141 149 152 140 142 150 123 
			  75-79 198 213 248 195 227 220 209 190 190 216 
			  80-84 171 203 179 184 207 260 233 256 269 253 
			  85+ 220 209 223 240 264 283 268 299 266 307 
			  Total 870 894 905 905 997 1,074 1,000 1,017 1,015 1,040 
			 
			  London 50 2 5 0 3 4 1 3 2 2 3 
			  50-54 5 5 6 4 5 9 8 8 8 7 
			  55-59 18 10 17 10 16 17 14 24 22 18 
			  60-64 45 51 41 39 38 42 44 42 36 31 
			  65-69 83 79 93 96 82 84 77 79 70 85 
			  70-74 156 157 138 101 124 130 131 146 141 96 
			  75-79 186 201 223 174 212 216 185 191 168 151 
			  80-84 199 180 168 160 200 190 199 209 219 197 
			  85+ 184 203 224 211 249 240 229 238 287 262 
			  Total 878 891 910 798 930 929 890 939 953 850 
			 
			  South East 50 6 3 1 5 1 6 3 5 2 2 
			  50-54 11 8 14 10 8 13 11 11 5 8 
			  55-59 29 21 22 19 22 32 30 32 32 27 
			  60-64 56 69 56 56 66 62 60 50 43 51 
			  65-69 121 121 125 103 112 148 116 101 108 99 
			  70-74 229 238 185 184 213 185 181 200 198 174 
			  75-79 304 321 322 291 307 282 307 271 278 290 
			  80-84 319 313 325 286 324 331 376 368 339 353 
			  85+ 359 382 413 392 397 467 450 393 451 488 
			  Total 1,434 1,476 1,463 1,346 1,450 1,526 1,534 1,431 1,456 1,492 
			 
			  South West 50 1 2 3 1 0 2 5 0 2 2 
			  50-54 2 9 8 6 6 6 4 5 4 7 
			  55-59 19 15 21 7 17 22 32 24 18 16 
			  60-64 42 34 42 29 34 39 45 43 41 37 
			  65-69 81 81 68 68 91 97 92 68 82 82 
			  70-74 169 158 127 157 107 144 132 146 149 131 
			  75-79 237 218 232 218 215 217 197 241 226 208 
			  80-84 232 253 221 231 227 229 273 274 265 259 
			  85+ 256 277 268 289 323 270 293 276 341 325 
			  Total 1,039 1,047 990 1,006 1,020 1,026 1,073 1,077 1,128 1,067 
			  England total  7,982 8,074 8,015 7,761 8,305 8,471 8,570 8,531 8,492 8,506 
			 (1) Cause of death for prostate cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 185 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C61. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in each year since 1997-98, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 February 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases of prostate cancer have been diagnosed in each year since 1997-98, broken down by strategic health authority.
	The most recent available figures for cancer incidence are for 2005. Figures requested are given in the table below.
	
		
			  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer( 1) , males, by strategic health authority, 1997 to 2005 
			  SHA  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England 19,878 20,375 22,203 24,256 27,380 27,672 27,777 29,406 28,887 
			   
			 North East 887 1,063 1,229 1,243 1,407 1,389 1,475 1,321 1,403 
			 North West 2,554 2,626 2,843 3,096 3,651 3,525 3,637 4,468 4,293 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,857 1,818 1,923 2,372 2,631 2,598 2,639 2,909 2,729 
			 East Midlands 1,465 1,531 1,747 1,939 2,115 2,136 2,090 2,415 2,619 
			 West Midlands 2,085 2,247 2,411 2,723 3,076 3,235 3,249 3,377 3,350 
			 East of England 2,247 2,266 2,609 2,938 3,192 3,270 3,194 3,164 3,453 
			 London 2,593 2,661 2,742 2,797 3,074 3,115 3,062 3,012 2,876 
			 South East Coast 2,081 1,997 2,225 2,289 2,441 2,302 2,270 2,268 2,317 
			 South Central 1,480 1,632 1,808 2,038 2,349 2,361 2,334 2,484 2,169 
			 South West 2,629 2,534 2,666 2,821 3,444 3,741 3,827 3,988 3,678 
			 (1) Prostate cancer is coded to C61 in the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10).  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Revenue and Customs: Higher Civil Servants

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been claimed in expenses by HM Revenue and Customs staff at Senior Civil Service level and above in the last five year period for which data are available.

Angela Eagle: New management reporting systems installed by HM Revenue and Customs in November 2006 provide information from that date. Information prior to November 2006 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. For the period 1 November 2006 to 31 March 2007 expense claims for staff at senior civil service (SCS) levels were 326,909. The number of senior civil servants who made claims during this period was 337.

Revenue and Customs: Recruitment

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost has been of placing advertisements for HM Revenue and Custom's recruitment programme on the Google search engine.

Angela Eagle: A three-month package was bought via HMRC's recruitment advertising provider at a cost of 9,000.
	The package has been particularly effective in attracting interest in HMRC's Graduate Development Programme, resulting in an increase in the normal number of applicants.

Revenue and Customs: Visits Abroad

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which overseas destinations were visited by HM Revenue and Customs staff in the last financial year; how many visits were made to each destination; and what the cost to the public purse was of visits to each destination.

Angela Eagle: New systems installed by HM Revenue and Customs in November 2006 advise that staff visited the following countries during the period 1 November 2006 to 31 March 2007. A small number of staff that are abroad for long periods may not be reflected in these numbers and could be included only at disproportionate cost. An analysis of the costs between countries visited could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I refer to the answer given to your written parliamentary question in September 2007 (HMT Ref: 4555W 06/07). The cost of travel and hotels for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on travel abroad in the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was 1,949,181.
	
		
			   Number of visits 
			 United Arab Emirates 33 
			 Afghanistan 6 
			 Anguilla 1 
			 Austria 8 
			 Australia 10 
			 Belgium 335 
			 Bulgaria 27 
			 Bahrain 1 
			 Brazil 6 
			 Canada 7 
			 Switzerland 5 
			 China 5 
			 Serbia/Montenegro 2 
			 Cyprus 2 
			 Czech Republic 2 
			 Germany 43 
			 Denmark 14 
			 Spain 31 
			 Finland 7 
			 France 403 
			 Ghana 20 
			 Gibraltar 1 
			 Hong Kong 1 
			 Croatia 5 
			 Hungary 16 
			 Indonesia 1 
			 Ireland 61 
			 India, Sikkim prov. 4 
			 Italy 14 
			 Jamaica 5 
			 Japan 4 
			 South Korea 1 
			 Kuwait 1 
			 Kazakhstan 1 
			 St. Lucia 1 
			 Sri Lanka 2 
			 Lithuania 6 
			 Luxembourg 29 
			 Latvia 1 
			 Malta 18 
			 Malaysia 4 
			 Mozambique 1 
			 Netherlands 90 
			 Norway 3 
			 New Zealand 2 
			 Peru 3 
			 Pakistan 5 
			 Poland 27 
			 Portugal 24 
			 Romania 32 
			 Sweden 11 
			 Slovenia 3 
			 Slovakia 1 
			 Turks and Caicos islands 1 
			 Turkey 10 
			 USA 10 
			 Uzbekistan 3 
			 Venezuela 2 
			 Vietnam 3 
			 Vanuatu 1 
			 Yemen 1 
			 South Africa 2 
			 Total 1,379

Taxation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of level of compliance with tax regulations in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: There is no current assessment of the level of compliance with all tax regulations.
	Two key obligations are:
	to file returns on time; and
	to submit correct returns and pay the right amount of tax.
	 Filing
	The percentage of self-assessment returns filed on time is published in HMRC's annual reports, which are available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk.
	For corporation tax returns, no figures are available prior to 2003-04, and the 2006-07 figure is not yet finalised.
	 Estimates of losses
	HMRC have made estimates of the level of indirect tax losses since 2001. The most recent estimates are available in Measuring Indirect Tax Losses 2007, published alongside pre-Budget report 2007. These cover VAT losses for 2001-02 to 2006-07, and excise losses from 2001-02 to 2005-06. HMRC also published Developing Methodologies for Measuring Direct Tax Losses at this time. This includes estimates of direct tax losses for individuals subject to income tax self-assessment (2001-02 to 2002-03), small and medium-sized companies (2001-02 to 2003-04) and small and medium-sized employers (2003-04).

Taxation

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many errors were made in processing tax returns in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The following table sets out the number of taxpayers whose self assessment tax returns were subject to processing errors during the past five years. The table also details the percentage accuracy of self assessment tax bills during the same period.
	
		
			   Taxpayers with errors  Accuracy of SA tax bills (percentage) 
			 2003-04 544,669 93.8 
			 2004-05 435,788 95.0 
			 2005-06 289,266 96.5 
			 2006-07 298,592 96.5 
			 2007-08 (to date) 246,332 97.1

Taxation: Gambling

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which gambling products are subject to more than one ad valorem tax rate; and for what reasons in each case.

Angela Eagle: Gambling products are subject to a range of different taxes. In some circumstances, bingo is subject to more than one ad valorem tax. Bingo in a licensed premises is subject to bingo duty at 15 per cent. on gross profits and most participation fees for such bingo are subject to VAT at the standard rate. All gambling industries are also subject to the usual taxes imposed on business. The average effective tax rate on bingo is not out of line with rates on other forms of gambling.
	The Government consider all relevant factors when establishing and maintaining fair regimes for the gambling taxes.

Working Tax Credit

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was  (a) budgeted for and  (b) spent on the childcare element of the working tax credit in each quarter of the last five years for which data are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average level of award made to families of the childcare element of the working tax credit was in each quarter of the last five years for which data are available; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: HMRC do not produce forecasts for the individual elements of the child and working tax credits.
	Table 2.4 of the HMRC publications 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Awards' for 2003-04 and 2004-05 and 2005-06, provides information on the estimated expenditure on the child care element, for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. This is shown in the following table.
	The same table contains estimates of the average help with child care costs these families received in each relevant year. This information is not available on a quarterly basis.
	
		
			   Childcare element expenditure  ( million)  Av erage help with child care cost  per week () 
			 2003-04 613 43.58 
			 2004-05 706 44.29 
			 2005-06 858 48.45

Working Tax Credit

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families were  (a) eligible for and  (b) receiving the childcare element of the working tax credit in each quarter of the last five years for which data are available; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 916W.

HEALTH

NHS Constitution

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish a constitution for the NHS.

Alan Johnson: As I announced on 4 July, in the ministerial statement,  Official Report, column 961, and as outlined in the interim report of the NHS Next Stage Review, published in October 2007, the Government are considering the case for a new national health service constitution to enshrine the principles and values of the NHS and increase local accountability to patients and the public. As part of this we are engaging extensively with patients, staff and the public.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of trafficked women and children who were refused secondary healthcare in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not held centrally. However, we have always made clear that no one in need of immediately necessary treatment should ever be denied that treatment because of concerns about their immigration status.

Fertility Services

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve access to fertility services.

Dawn Primarolo: We are working with the patient support organisation Infertility Network UK to help primary care trusts identify and share best practice in the provision of fertility services, and to establish standardised access criteria. To support this work, and develop tools to help primary care trusts improve their provision, we are establishing an expert group which will include commissioners.

Midwives

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives are employed by the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The September 2006 NHS census showed there were 24,500 midwives employed in the national health service, an increase of over 9 per cent. since 1997.

Midwives

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in the number of midwives recruited by the NHS over the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: Over the last 10 years there has been steady growth in the number of midwives working in the national health service. The NHS now employs over 2,000 more midwives than in 1997, an increase of over nine per cent.

Patient Satisfaction

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has commissioned on patient satisfaction with treatment in NHS hospitals.

Ann Keen: The Government have one of the world's most comprehensive programmes of patient experience surveys, including the national patient survey programme and Choice survey. This research tells us what people think about the care and treatment they have experienced, and is an essential part of improving services.

Prescription Drugs: Internet Sales

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to curtail sales from overseas of prescription drugs via the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Prescription medicines purchased from overseas internet websites cannot be guaranteed for their safety, quality and efficacy.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regularly issues warnings about the potential risks involved and, although overseas websites fall outside UK jurisdiction, will take action against illegal sites hosted in the UK.

Frenchay Hospital

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on journey times to accident and emergency departments for South Gloucestershire residents of the proposed changes at Frenchay Hospital.

Ben Bradshaw: Decisions about the services are best taken locally. The Bristol changes have been supported by all of the local health trusts. Three separate assessments of journey times have been undertaken locally in the area, and these have been taken into account by the local health service in making its decision.

Sexually-transmitted Diseases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the incidence of sexually-transmitted diseases among under 18-year-olds.

Dawn Primarolo: There were 48,389 new diagnoses of the five main sexually-transmitted infections in those aged 19 and under (the age band recorded by the Health Protection Agency) in genito-urinary medicine (GUM) in England in 2006. Reasons for this are complex but include behavioural and biological risk factors.
	Tackling the prevalence of sexually-transmitted infections is a top priority. We are making excellent progress towards offering people an appointment at a GUM clinic within 48 hours, established the national chlamydia screening programme, and launched an innovative media campaign aimed at those at highest risk.

Social Care

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the findings of the review of Social Care Funding Group.

Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection published its annual report on 30 January 2008; a copy has been placed in the Library. The report expressed concerns about the way in which local authorities were reducing care to older and disabled people who they had deemed not eligible for support. In my response to this report, which I set before Parliament in the written ministerial statement of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 15WS, I requested the Commission to undertake a fundamental review of the content and application of eligibility criteria. The Commission have agreed to report back to me by the autumn of this year.

Health Visitors

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors there are in  (a) Enfield Southgate and  (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The September 2006 census showed that there were 50 health visitors working in Enfield PCT and over 12,000 working in England.
	The Government are committed to supporting and promoting the role of health visitors.

Health Services: Thames Gateway

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make provision for health services in the Thames Gateway area; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the Thames Gateway area are responsible for developing strategies for the provision of health services for existing and new populations in the region. PCT revenue allocations include an adjustment to target allocations for designated Department for Communities and Local Government growth areas, including the Thames Gateway.

NHS Dentistry

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on access to NHS dental services.

Ann Keen: The most recent data show 27.9 million people in England saw an NHS dentist during the two years ending 30 June 2007.
	We are committed to improving access to NHS services. We have increased central funding by 11 per cent. for 2008-09, and are requiring the NHS, through the operating framework, to increase the number of patients able to access NHS dentistry year on year.

Coeliac Disease

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is provided to GPs to assist in the diagnosis of coeliac disease; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Clinical Knowledge Summaries website contains detailed information on the diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease in a form suitable for both health professionals and patients. A copy is available at:
	www.cks.library.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/coeliac_disease

Accident and Emergency Departments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many blue light accident and emergency departments have become urgent care centres in the last 12 months; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such transitions.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not held centrally.
	It is a matter for the local national health service to ensure that urgent and emergency care services are provided that are responsive to people's needs. Changes to services are a matter for local decision. The key principle should always be to ensure that high quality care is provided as close to home as is compatible with clinical safety.
	National health service trusts self-report the number of services they provide according to definitions provided by the Department on a quarterly basis. Latest information available shows that, at the end of September 2007, there were 204 type 1 (major) accident and emergency services in England. This compares with 203 type 1 services at the end of September 2006. These figures represent the overall national position at each of those time periods.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will seek to estimate the impact that the entry into force of the Licensing Act 2003 has had on numbers of admissions to hospital accident and emergency departments.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of patients attending accident and emergency for alcohol- related harm is not collected centrally.

Bexley Care Trust: Cancer

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2222W, on Bexley Care Trust: cancer, what the definitional changes in data were which took place in 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: Between the 2005-06 and 2006-07 financial years, the Department implemented new definitional changes to data collection. The Department amended the way activities were grouped and costed, and changed the relationship between diagnosis and programme budget categories. Furthermore, the Department also changed the way non-admitted patient care costs were apportioned across the programme budgeting categories, with more expenditure allocated to the 'Other' category.

Cancer: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, from what date he expects it to be the default position for all new cancer drugs and significant new licensed indications to be referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is currently in discussion with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence about the implementation of this aspect of the Cancer Reform Strategy. The new arrangements are expected to start later in 2008.

Care Homes: MRSA

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of deaths in care homes were caused by  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile infections in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 February 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what proportion of deaths in care homes were caused by (a) MRSA and (b) Clostridium difficile infections in each of the last 5 years. (183834)
	Death certificates record the place where a person dies, but not where any infections may have been acquired. It is not possible from the information on a death certificate to know whether an infection was acquired in the care home or other place where a patient died. Patients are often transferred between hospitals, nursing/care homes and other establishments and may acquire infections in a different place from where they died.
	Special analyses of deaths involving MRSA and Clostridium difficile are undertaken annually by ONS for England and Wales. The most recent figures were published in reports in Health Statistics Quarterly 33 in February 2007. This publication is available in the House of Commons library.
	The categories used by ONS in presenting place of death are: own home; NHS general hospital; non-NHS general hospital; hospice; NHS nursing home; non-NHS nursing home; private residential home; and local authority residential home.
	The tables below provide data on the proportion of all death certificates in NHS nursing homes, non-NHS nursing homes, private residential homes, and local authority residential homes where MRSA or Clostridium difficile were recorded as the underlying cause of death. Data on the proportion of death certificates recording MRSA or C. difficile in these four establishment types combined (all types of 'home') is also provided. Data is for 2001 to 2005, the latest year for which figures are available.
	Table 1 presents data for MRSA, Table 2 presents data for Clostridium difficile.
	
		
			  Table 1: Proportion (percentage) of deaths in each establishment type( 1)  where Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus( 2)  (MRSA) was recorded as the underlying cause of death, 2001-05( 3) 
			   NHS nursing home  Non-NHS nursing home  Private residential home  Local authority residential home  Combined total (all types of 'home') 
			 2001 0.04 0.02 0.01 (4)n/a 0.02 
			 2002 0.14 0.02 0.00 0.01 0.02 
			 2003 0.24 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.03 
			 2004 0.08 0.05 0.02 0.03 0.04 
			 2005 0.20 0.04 0.04 0.01 0.04 
			 (1) Death certificates record the place where a person dies, but not where any infection may have been acquired. (2) Identified using the methodology described in Griffiths C, Lamagni TL, Crowcroft NS, Duckworth G and Rooney C (2004). Trends in MRSA in England and Wales: analysis of morbidity and mortality data for 1993-2002. Health Statistics Quarterly 21, 15-22. (3) Deaths occurring in each calendar year (4) n/a = no deaths 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Proportion (percentage) of deaths in each establishment type( 1)  where Clostridium difficile( 2)  (C. difficile) was recorded as the underlying cause of death, 2001-05( 3) 
			   NHS nursing home  Non-NHS nursing home  Private residential home  Local authority residential home  Combined total (all types of 'home') 
			 2001 0.22 0.03 0.03 (4)n/a 0.03 
			 2002 0.21 0.03 0.00 0.01 0.03 
			 2003 0.24 0.04 0.02 0.04 0.04 
			 2004 0.24 0.06 0.04 0.05 0.06 
			 2005 0.56 0.11 0.07 0.06 0.11 
			 (1) Death certificates record the place where a person dies, but not where any infection may have been acquired. (2) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving  Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 2001-05. Health Statistics Quarterly 33, 71-75. (3) Deaths occurring in each calendar year (4) n/a = no deaths

Community Care

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the records held by his Department on Continuing Care payments are collected; and whether they include information on  (a) older people,  (b) adults with learning disabilities and  (c) younger adults with mental ill health.

Ivan Lewis: The national health service does not make payments to individuals in respect of continuing health care.
	The Department collects information on the number of people receiving continuing health care, and the number of people newly eligible for continuing health care. From 2007-08 this information is being collected on a quarterly basis, prior to 2007-08 the information was collected on an annual basis on 31 March each year. The Department does not collect this information on an age or diagnosis basis.

Community Care: Medical Equipment

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the use of telecare systems and in-home monitors to help patients with  (a) arthritis,  (b) asthma,  (c) diabetes,  (d) heart disease and  (e) other long-term conditions.

Ann Keen: holding answer 31 January 2008
	The Department telecare policy is set out in Building Telecare in England which was published in July 2005. The Department of Health provided 80 million of funding, through the preventative technology grant, to support the mainstreaming of telecare services and to benefit up to 160,000 additional users. This policy will support people with a range of conditions including those people with arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and other long-term conditions.
	In addition, the Long Term Conditions Whole System Demonstrators (WSDs), promised in the White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, are exploring the effectiveness of telehealth and telecare in supporting integrated care for those with heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes. The results of the evaluation of the WSD programme will help to inform the future application of assistive technologies to support those with other long-term conditions.

Community Care: Medical Equipment

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist NHS organisations to encourage patients with long-term conditions to monitor their own  (a) heart activity,  (b) blood pressure and  (c) lung capacity at home; what equipment is required to allow patients to do so; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 31 January 2008
	The Long Term Condition Whole System Demonstrators (WSDs), promised in the White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, will explore the effectiveness of telehealth and telecare in supporting integrated care for those with heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes. There are three demonstrators in the programme located in Kent, Newham and Cornwall. The demonstrators will be robustly evaluated by a consortium of academic organisations in order to fully assess the business case for such service models.
	As part of the WSDs the vital signs of several thousand individuals will be measured over a period of at least a year. The vital signs that are measured will be determined on an individual basis following assessment and the development of a care plan. The monitoring of heart activity, blood pressure and lung capacity will be included in the options available to people within the WSD communities.
	The equipment needed to measure vital signs can be standalonee.g. a blood pressure monitor. However, within the WSDs we are testing the role of assistive technologies as part of an integrated health and social care system. The vital sign measurements will therefore be remotely monitored regularly by health professionals. Feedback and treatment regimes will be tailored based on these readings. To facilitate this the peripherals such as blood pressure monitors will be connected to a telehealth hub that is linked via a phone line or broadband to systems that are securely monitored by clinicians.
	In addition, the Department's telecare policy is set out in Building Telecare in England, which was published in July 2005. The Department provided 80 million of funding, through the Preventative Technology Grant, to support the mainstreaming of telecare services and to benefit up to 160,000 additional users. This policy will support people with a range of long term conditions with a number of localities investing in telehealth equipment to enable the monitoring of vital signs in the home.
	Further information will be made available as appropriate.

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W, on the Departmental Board, whether the Customer Insight Unit referred to in paragraph 5.3 of the minutes of the meeting held in March 2007 has now been created; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper entitled Embedding the Customer.

Ben Bradshaw: An appointment to the post of Head of Customer Insight Unit was made in July 2007 and a small supporting team is in place. The Head of Customer Insight is also the Department's representative on the cross-government Customer Insight Forum.
	The paper entitled Embedding the Customer formed part of the internal process of departmental policy formulation and is not appropriate for publication. The role of Customer Insight is covered in the Service Transformation Agreement published in October 2007 and is available in the Library.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department employed in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not have a communication officer grade or job-title. The 'White Book' of contacts in Government Departments and agencies contains lists of press officers in the Department and is updated twice yearly. Some officers in directorates other than Communications have some media, press or communications liaison responsibility but this is not recorded in a consistent or economically retrievable form. Figures given as follows are for Communications Directorate alone. Figures for 2003-04 and before are estimates. Figures are given for complete financial years (1 April to 31 March). Some staff work part-time.
	
		
			  Number of press officers, 1997-98 to 2006-07 
			  Year  Number of staff 
			 2006-07 26 
			 2005-06 30 
			 2004-05 30 
			 2003-04 26 
			 2002-03 24 
			 2001-02 22 
			 2000-01 22 
			 1999-2000 21 
			 1998-99 15 
			 1997-98 15

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1179W, on the departmental internet, how many of those creations and amendments were made by  (a) special advisers,  (b) Ministers and  (c) communications officials; and how many of those creations and amendments were made from the IP addresses of (i) special advisers, (ii) Ministers and (iii) communications officials.

Ben Bradshaw: Creations and amendments to Wikipedia made from departmental computers are identified by a single IP address as all traffic passes out through a 'proxy' server and the IP address is that of the server not the individual computer.
	All staff internet traffic is recorded and identifies which sites are visited by staff but does not identify what activity has taken place. Therefore, it is possible to identify from records which staff have visited the Wikipedia site but not to identify what entries have been accessed or whether they have been created or amended.
	From August 2007, Wikipedia has blocked the Department's IP address for creating or amending entries. Information on the Wikipedia site indicates that this has occurred because it has identified the IP address as being shared by many users. Since the IP address has been blocked, staff wishing to create or edit entries from departmental computers must create a user account with Wikipedia. Wikipedia will not release details of user accounts.

Departmental Public Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations his Department has undertaken since 1997; what the final cost was of all completed consultations; and what the projected final cost is of all ongoing consultations.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold information centrally about the costs of public consultations. Information on the Department's expenditure on public consultations could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	A list of the public consultations launched by the Department since 2002 has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Publicity

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on  (a) advertising campaigns and  (b) opinion polling services in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table outlines the cost of departmental advertising in the last five fiscal years for which completed records are available, i.e. 2002-03 through to 2006-07.
	
		
			  Departmental campaigns expenditure summary 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			   million 
			  Campaign  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Alcohol(1) 0.10 0.05 0.34 0.06 1.90 
			 Antibiotics 0.44 0.42 0 0.39 0 
			 CALM 0.58 0.43 0.44 0.32 0 
			 Children's health/pregnancy 0 0.05 0.40 0 0 
			 Drugs(2) 1.52 1.50 1.99 1.26 3.13 
			 Flu 2.00 1.60 1.50 1.85 1.16 
			 Hepatitis C  0.15 0.70 1.28 0.53 
			 Immunisation 1.00 2.00 2.00 0.35 2.80 
			 Mind Out/Mental Health 0.16 0.95 0 0 0 
			 Maternal and Infant Nutrition/Breastfeeding 0.28 0.46 0.75 0.74 0.73 
			 National health service including nurse recruitment 4.23 4.90 5.84 0.02 0 
			 NHS Direct 0.58 0.75 0 0 0.32 
			 Organ donation 0.22 0 0 0 0 
			 Prescription fraud 0.30 0 0 0 0 
			 Promoting new NHS services (Caring in many ways) 0 0 0.85 0 0 
			 Sexwise/teenage pregnancy 1.60 2.00 0.77 0.77 3.32 
			 Sexual Health 1.50 1.50 1.26 0.62 4.00 
			 Social care/worker recruitment 1.24 4.62 2.14 2.44 2.69 
			 Smoking 7.87 17.34 24.00 22.70 21.53 
			 Tuberculosis awareness 0.09 0.01 0.20 0 0 
			 Walk-in centres 0.14 0.04 0.40 0 0 
			 Winter (Get the right treatment/ask about medicines day) 0.50 1.87 0.99 0.98 0 
			 5 a Day 0.50 0.48 1.03 0.90 0.92 
			 E111 0 0 0.32 1.37 0 
			 Total 24.85 41.12 45.92 36.05 43.03 
			 (1) From 2006-07 Department of Health (DH) contribution to campaign run jointly with Home Office (HO) (2) DH contribution to campaign run jointly with HO 
		
	
	A list of expenditure on opinion polling in each of the last five years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department does not hold this information centrally.
	However, information on opinion polling commissioned by the Department's Communications Directorate since April 2004 is shown as follows:
	
		
			  Poll  Total amount spent () 
			 2007  
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Tracker SurveyMarch 2007 171,825 
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Tracker SurveyJuly 2007  
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Tracker SurveyDecember 2007  
			 NHS staff survey and public surveys September 2007  
			   
			 2006  
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Tracker Surveysummer 2006 229,440 
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Tracker Surveywinter 2006  
			 Public Monthly Omnibus January 2006  
			 Public Perceptions Baseline  
			 NHS Staff SurveyJanuary 2006  
			 NHS Staff SurveyJuly 2006  
			 NHS Staff Survey-December 2006  
			 DH Stakeholder SurveyJuly 2006  
			   
			 2005  
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Tracker Surveysummer 2005 106,205 
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Trackerwinter 2005  
			 Public Monthly Omnibus 2005  
			 NHS Staff SurveyJuly 2005  
			   
			 2004  
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Tracker Surveysummer 2004 78,000 
			 Public Perceptions of the NHS Trackerwinter 2004  
			 Public Monthly Omnibus 2004  
			   
			 2003  
			 No records  
			  Note: This should be regarded as an indicative guide on spend only.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The weight of paper (excluding newspapers and cardboard) recycled by the Department in the last five years as published by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) is:
	
		
			   Tonnes 
			 2002-03 317.49 
			 2003-04 510.58 
			 2004-05 522.04 
			 2005-06 303.84 
		
	
	Figures for 2006-07 have been submitted to the SDC for publication.

Departmental Reports

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on commissioning reports from non-departmental sources  (a) based in the UK and  (b) based overseas in each year since 1997; and what the (i) title, (ii) terms of reference and (iii) purpose was of the reports.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department met the target in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: We have, between 1999 and 2006, reduced the carbon emissions from the departmental estate by 15 per cent. The figure for 2006-07 will be published shortly in the 2007 Sustainable Development in Government report.
	 Note:
	This figure reflects that published in the 2006 Sustainable Development in Government report. The departmental estate includes the Department's London administrative estate, and buildings occupied by NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency. Where the Department is a minor occupier in buildings also occupied by other Government Departments, this is not counted as part of the departmental estate.

Dr Foster Intelligence

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts his Department has awarded to the joint venture Dr. Foster Intelligence; and what their value is.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on projects awarded to private consultancy firms by the Department in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
	A new system will be introduced in July 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.

Emergency Calls

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of calls to the 999 emergency services number were requests for an ambulance in the most recent year for which figures are available  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect the total number of all 999 calls across emergency services. However, in 2006-07 there were 6.33 million emergency calls reported by ambulance trusts across England.
	Information broken down by trust is available in the latest statistical bulletin. Ambulance Services, England, 2006-07 was published in June 2007 and is available in the Library and on the Information Centre for health and social care website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/ambulanceserv06/Final%20Ambulance%20Services%202006-07.pdf

Feet

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice and assistance his Department makes available to people aged  (a) 65 to 74 and  (b) over 75 years on the care of their feet.

Ivan Lewis: The Clinical Knowledge Summaries website contains general information on the care of feet, as well as specific information on a variety of foot conditions and how best to care for your feet.
	Those patients with specific problems can be referred to specialist chiropody or podiatrist services by their general practitioner.
	A copy of the general information has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.cks.library.nhs.uk/patient_information/common_health_questions/question/how_can_i_take_care_of_my_feet

Health Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with  (a) NHS Direct,  (b) pharmaceutical companies and  (c) other interested parties on the possibility of providing a (i) telephone review and (ii) follow-up service for patients participating in clinical trials through NHS Direct; what assessment he has made of the viability of NHS Direct supporting clinical trials; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not held any such discussions or made any assessment of the viability of NHS Direct supporting clinical trials.
	More information may be available from the chairman of NHS Direct NHS Trust.

Health Services: Complaints

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 286WA, on the Healthcare Commission, 
	(1)  what arrangements the Healthcare Commission has for categorising complaints;
	(2)  how many second stage complaints were upheld in each year.

Ben Bradshaw: We understand from the chairman of the Healthcare Commission that it categorises the complaints it receives by subject type and specialty, for example 'delay in diagnosis-General Practice'. Categories are then related to Standards for Better Health (published in 2004), the centrally set standards against which NHS performance is assessed. This system allows the information gathered from complaints to be used, on an anonymised basis, to contribute to the Commission's wider regulatory work.
	The Commission took on responsibility for the independent review of complaints in July 2004. Information on the number of complaints upheld is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of complaints upheld 
			 2004-05 (from August 2004) 11 
			 2005-06 395 
			 2006-07 1,462 
			 2007-08 (year to 29 January) 2,162

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS charged non-EU patients who were not permitted free health care in each year since the inception of charging; and what sums are outstanding.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide the information requested. Successive Governments have not required the national health service to provide statistics on the number of foreign nationals seen, treated or charged under the provisions of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, nor any costs involved.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what stage in a patient's treatment in an NHS hospital identification is requested; and in the case of non-EU residents, at what point  (a) it is established that they are required to pay for their treatment and  (b) they are informed of the total amount payable.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, place a legal obligation on providers of NHS hospital services to establish whether patients are ordinarily resident in the UK and, if not, whether they are exempt from charges under the provisions of the regulations or liable to pay for any treatment provided. The Department of Health has provided comprehensive guidance on implementation of the charging regulations to help NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts to discharge their obligations under these regulations.
	All patients attending hospital for the first time in a course of treatment should be asked specific residency questions. Depending on the answers, the patient may be referred to the hospital's overseas visitors manager for further inquiries to be made. This should be done as soon as is reasonably practicable, taking into account the patient's medical condition. Where it is established that the patient is a chargeable overseas visitor, they should be informed as soon as possible of the estimated cost of the treatment being sought. In the case of routine elective treatment, guidance recommends that a deposit equivalent to that estimated cost should be obtained before treatment begins. However, immediate necessary treatment required to preserve life or to prevent a condition from becoming life-threatening should be provided without delay, with issues around charging and payment dealt with once the patient has been stabilised.

Hospital Wards: Gender

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has given to NHS mental health trusts on the use of mixed-sex wards;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued on privacy and dignity of patients in NHS mental health accommodation.

Ivan Lewis: The guidance issued on 1 June 2000, Safety, privacy and dignity in mental health units: guidance on mixed sex accommodation for mental health services, outlines the practical steps that staff should take to ensure the safety, privacy and dignity of those who are mentally ill. Additionally, it contains specific guidance on the design of mental health units, which can be a significant factor in maintaining privacy for vulnerable people.
	The 2007-08 NHS Operating Framework for England, published in 2006, states that primary care trusts (PCTs) should ensure local implementation of the commitment to reduce mixed-sex accommodation and maximise privacy and dignity in situations where the need to treat and admit takes precedence over complete segregation. The 2008-09 Operating Framework, published on 13 December 2007, calls on PCTs to work with all trusts to agree, publish and implement stretching local plans for improvement.
	Also, in December 2007 the Institute for Innovation and Improvement published Privacy and Dignity: the elimination of mixed sex accommodation which states:
	'In mental health services additional issues should be considered with respect to gender separation. The nature of mental health care is such that ward environments need to be safe and homely. Service users may stay for many months or years in some units. In order to promote privacy, dignity and safety appropriate polices, procedures training and clinical supervision'.
	On 15 August 2007, we announced that the 'Dignity in Care' campaign would be extended to cover mental health services. The campaign has proved successful in raising awareness of dignity in care and driving forward improvements in the way in which people are treated.
	In order to promote privacy and dignity, staff vigilance underpinned by appropriate policies, procedures and training are as important as the physical environment. This is reflected in the core standards measured by the Healthcare Commission as part of the annual health check with which all trusts need to comply. This checklist will assist trusts to demonstrate their compliance with a number of standards, in particular that healthcare organisations have systems in place to ensure that staff treat patients, their relatives and carers with dignity and respect.

Hospitals Beds: Costs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was of the occupancy of an NHS hospital bed per night  (a) in England and  (b) in each NHS hospital for each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: The cost of keeping a patient in hospital overnight is not collected centrally.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for introducing the national vaccination programme for young girls against the human papilloma virus; when he plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme; and by what means.

Dawn Primarolo: Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine will be introduced for girls aged 12 to 13 years of age, starting from September 2008. A two-year catch-up campaign will commence in autumn 2009 for girls up to 18 years of age.
	Vaccine uptake will be monitored during the programme, and plans to measure the incidence of HPV infection in the vaccinated age groups are currently being considered. In the first few years of the programme, studies will be carried out to test a sample of women for HPV deoxyribonucleic acid and antibodies, and to monitor the reduction in HPV infections. The impact of the programme will be seen when the vaccinated girls reach the age at which cervical screening starts as this is when a reduction in abnormal screening results will begin to be seen.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what clinical advice was sought by his Commercial Directorate in drawing up their proposals for urology and stoma products and services;
	(2)  what discussions his Commercial Directorate has had on their proposals for urology and stoma products and services with officials in the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who use urology or stoma products;
	(4)  if he will seek a regulatory impact assessment before he makes final decisions concerning his Department's Commercial Directorate proposals in respect of urology and stoma services.

Dawn Primarolo: The proposals relating to service have been informed by feedback from providers, specialist healthcare professionals and patients. Specialist healthcare professionals have advised the Department of the proposed classification relating to items.
	As part of the review, the Department has held meetings with the Department for Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform).
	The Department estimates that about 450,000 people use stoma or incontinence items. Some will use them intermittently but the majority will be dependent on them.
	Two partial regulatory impact assessments have already been published as part of this review; the first in October 2005 and the second in November 2006. An impact assessment will be published before any decisions are made and interested parties will have an opportunity to comment on this.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 597W, on influenza, which critical national infrastructure industries participated in the Winter Willow exercise in 2007;
	(2)  whether the armed forces were involved in his Department's Winter Willow pandemic influenza contingency planning exercise of January and February 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The armed forces were not directly involved in exercise Winter Willow. However, the Ministry of Defence were involved in planning the exercise and observing Cabinet Office briefing room discussions.
	In addition to the health sector, other sectors within the critical national infrastructure industries that participated in the Winter Willow exercise included the:
	Food sectora range of manufacturers, retailers, primary producers, and wholesalers;
	Water sectorseveral water companies;
	Fuel sectorrepresentatives for fuel refiners and retailers; and
	Transport sectora range of transport operators covering buses, trains, air travel and shipping.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 596W, on influenza, what proportion of businesses which participated in the National Capabilities Survey in 2006 had an influenza pandemic-specific business continuity plan.

Dawn Primarolo: Businesses did not participate in the National Capabilities Survey. Therefore, we do not have this information.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 595W, on influenza, what non-scientific considerations are taken into account when deciding on the stockpile levels of treatments to be purchased;
	(2)  when he plans to produce guidance on the eligibility of staff for vaccination against A/H5N1 based on a clinical assessment of the staff groups which may be at risk, as stated in paragraph 3.28, page 28, of his Department's document Pandemic influenza: human resources guidance for the NHS, published on 21 November 2007;
	(3)  who will receive antiviral treatment in the event of an influenza pandemic should its clinical attack rate be greater than the quantity of antivirals stockpiled; and in what order of priority.

Dawn Primarolo: The size, quantity and content of the stockpile is guided primarily by the policy objective of using antiviral medicines effectively in order to prevent hospitalization and deaths arising from pandemic influenza, and supporting our 'stay at home policy'. To achieve this we are planning to increase our antiviral stockpile from 25 per cent. to 50 per cent. This should be enough to ensure treatment for all those that become symptomatic, including in a 'worst case' scenario where the maximum predicted attack rate is reached.
	Safety and patient acceptability is key. All Neuraminidase inhibitors are generally well tolerated by patients but the side effects from amantadine make it less suitable for stockpiling. The form in which the medicine comes is also important; while Oseltamivir is a capsule, Zanamivir has to be administered using an inhalator. The possible development of antiviral resistance also needs to be taken into account. Resistance is known to develop quickly to amantadine, making it unsuitable for stockpiling. We are currently considering stockpiling a second Neuraminidase inhibitor.
	In principle, antiviral medicine treatment will be available for all symptomatic patients from the onset of a pandemic. A move to prioritisation of treatment would only be made if information became available to suggest that demand for antiviral treatment would outstrip supply.
	If the clinical attack rate exceeds the quantity of antivirals stockpiled, access to countermeasures will be based on the need to:
	Reduce serious illness and deaths; and
	Reduce transmission and spread.
	Final decisions can only be made once we know what the clinical impact of the pandemic is.
	As for the use of our existing stock of pre-pandemic vaccine, the Government have a stockpile of 3.3 million doses of H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine for health care workers. However, the Human Resources guidance for the national health service is still being consulted on. Final guidance detailing the eligibility of staff for A/H5N1 based upon clinical assessment of staff who may be at risk will not be available until after the responses received during the consultation are collated and analysed.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has had discussions with internet service providers on contingency planning arrangements for a potential influenza pandemic.

Dawn Primarolo: Internet service providers, like other businesses, are responsible for their own contingency planning. To assist with this, Cabinet Office has issued various pieces of advice to assist with business continuity planning, including: 'Guidance on Contingency Planning for a Possible Influenza Pandemic; Pandemic Influenza Checklists for Businesses and Introductory Advice to Staff on Planning for Pandemic Influenza'.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS staff who will not attend work due to fear of infection in an influenza pandemic, as referred to in paragraph 3.9 of his Department's document Pandemic influenza: human resources guidance for the NHS, published on 21 November 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department recognises that although some staff may be concerned, national health service staff have a very high level of commitment to caring for patients.
	The Department therefore expects the number to be low and continues to work to ensure appropriate countermeasures and information are in place to protect staff during an influenza pandemic.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the proportion of patients in each risk group who have received seasonal influenza immunisation for the 2007-08 winter.

Dawn Primarolo: The collection of seasonal influenza uptake data for this winter ended on 31 January, and final uptake data for the 2007-08 seasonal influenza campaign are not expected to be available until around the end of February 2008.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which independent sector providers of health care form part of local NHS organisations' pandemic influenza contingency plans.

Dawn Primarolo: National health service trusts have been asked to ensure that all local health and social care organisations, including the independent sector, are involved in planning for a pandemic, and that they develop an integrated response that uses their combined resources to best effect. NHS trusts will be demonstrating their involvement with local stakeholders, including the independent sector, through the audit on NHS preparedness that is currently taking place.

Injuries: Dogs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adults and  (b) children were admitted to accident and emergency departments in England as a result of dog attacks in each of the last five years, broken down by hospital trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. The following tables show the count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the external cause code is W54 (bitten or struck by dog) for the strategic health authority (SHA) of treatment, for adults and children admitted to hospital through accident and emergency, over the last five years. A direct comparison is not possible before and after 2006 when the SHAs were restructured, which is why there are two separate tables.
	
		
			   2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			  SHA of treatment  Under 18  18 and over  Under 18  18 and over  Under 18  18 and over  Under 18  18 and over 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 31 99 39 78 46 92 23 66 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 31 65 30 59 44 67 36 54 
			 Essex SHA 30 75 37 61 26 59 28 54 
			 North West London SHA 11 52 19 29 * 37 19 29 
			 North Central London SHA 13 35 7 21 8 17 11 23 
			 North East London SHA 26 25 24 30 13 33 12 9 
			 South East London SHA 22 34 19 40 9 36 * 43 
			 South West London SHA 22 41 18 31 21 31 16 44 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA 61 107 43 81 45 98 41 60 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 70 99 62 97 66 97 65 85 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA 29 58 42 59 40 49 30 60 
			 West Yorkshire SHA 95 180 78 130 76 91 88 95 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 51 65 42 64 39 60 51 42 
			 Greater Manchester SHA 68 142 52 87 49 82 64 75 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 132 195 123 155 107 122 101 121 
			 Thames Valley SHA 38 104 43 101 41 97 44 79 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 29 48 25 34 23 31 37 29 
			 Kent and Medway SHA 10 56 15 38 20 39 60 85 
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA 73 113 73 100 61 88 41 48 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 54 123 57 101 46 100 44 66 
			 South West Peninsula SHA 22 75 34 59 30 59 22 60 
			 Dorset and Somerset SHA 14 29 14 28 18 20 20 23 
			 South Yorkshire SHA 42 62 36 73 33 69 39 76 
			 Trent SHA 47 108 75 83 62 61 80 81 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA 35 40 27 34 32 36 13 * 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 42 56 35 64 27 61 19 52 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country SHA 65 140 57 112 45 79 42 83 
			 West Midlands South SHA 24 55 24 45 25 35 20 44 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07 
			  SHA of treatment  Under 18  18 and over 
			 North East SHA 130 209 
			 North West SHA 241 426 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA 168 353 
			 East Midlands SHA 95 169 
			 West Midlands SHA 146 261 
			 East Of England SHA 106 229 
			 London SHA 127 242 
			 South East Coast SHA 94 190 
			 South Central SHA 75 165 
			 South West SHA 95 266 
			  Notes: 1. FAE An FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 
			 2. Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts, and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  3. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed).  4. Low numbers: Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with *(an asterisk).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

Lung Cancer: Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for  (a) commissioning and  (b) evaluating research on the feasibility of a UK trial of CT screening for lung cancer.

Dawn Primarolo: The Health Technology Assessment programme, part of the Department's National Institute for Health Research, has placed an advertisement inviting proposals for a feasibility study and trial protocol development for a United Kingdom-based screening programme for lung cancer utilising low dose computerised tomography. The closing date is 12 March 2008. The proposals received will considered by a specially convened board sometime between mid-May and mid-June.

Mental Health Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the provisions of the Mental Health Act 2007 on independent mental health advocacy will be implemented;
	(2)  what interim safeguards he plans to put in place for people detained in hospital or placed under supervised community treatment if the provisions in the Mental Health Act 2007 regarding independent mental health advocacy are implemented after the implementation of other provisions in the Act;
	(3)  how much funding has been allocated in each of the next three years to the implementation and delivery of independent mental health advocacy under the Mental Health Act 2007;
	(4)  what work is  (a) under way and  (b) planned to create good practice guidance for the delivery of independent mental health advocacy to people on supervised community treatment under the Mental Health Act 2007;
	(5)  what measures are  (a) being developed and  (b) in place for the commissioning of independent mental health advocacy.

Ivan Lewis: We aim to implement the provisions of the Mental Health Act in respect of independent mental health advocacy from April 2009. The range of safeguards under the 1983 and 2007 Mental Health Acts will be in place to provide a modernised legislative framework within which compulsory measures can be taken, when necessary, to ensure that people with mental disorders receive the treatment they require. Advocacy support is already available in a number of areas and statutory provision will strengthen this situation.
	We are committed to funding independent mental health advocacy but as priorities for additional funding from 2009-10 have not yet been finalised we cannot yet confirm the exact amounts.
	Good practice guidance for the delivery of independent mental health advocacy, including those on supervised community treatment, and guidance for commissioners are being developed and will be published later in 2008.

Mercury: Health Hazards

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research on the link between  (a) the mercury content of amalgams and  (b) the thiomersal content of some inoculations and progressive neurodegenerative diseases.

Dawn Primarolo: Mercury amalgam has been in use for over 150 years to restore teeth in millions of patients and, apart from rare instances of hypersensitivity, no adverse reactions have been identified.
	Recent reports from the European Union's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks and the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks are available at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_scenihr/scenihr_cons_07_en.htm
	and
	http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04__scher/scher_cons_02_en.htm
	They support the United Kingdom Government's view that there is currently no need for regulation on mercury amalgam. The Government monitor compliance with provisions in the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 for the safe disposal of amalgam waste and research conducted on alternative restorative materials.
	The vaccines used in the UK routine childhood immunisation programme do not contain thiomersal.
	The Department has funded studies into the thiomersal content in vaccines and has found no link between vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders. One such study was Thiomersal exposure in infants and developmental disorders: A prospective Cohort Study in the United Kingdom does not support a causal association, Jon Heron, Jean Golding and the ALSPAC Study Team Paediatrics 2004; 114; 577-583.
	As with all medicinal products, vaccine safety is continually monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) with advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM). The CHM and its Expert Advisory Groups have thoroughly reviewed the safety of thiomersal-containing vaccines. The advice of CHM/MHRA remains that there is no evidence of harm from the very small quantities of thiomersal contained in some vaccines, with the exception of possible allergic reactions (typically skin rashes or local swelling at the site of injection). This view concurs with that of the World Health Organization, the United States Institute of Medicine and the European Medicines Agency.

NHS: Buildings

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the NHS estate repair backlog.

Ben Bradshaw: Overall capital expenditure by the national health service has increased from around 1.1 billion in 1997-98 to around 5.5 billion in 2007-08. These record levels of investment mean that a quarter of the estate occupied by NHS trusts has been replaced since 1997 and the proportion of the estate that predates the establishment of the NHS itself has fallen from 50 per cent. in 1997-98 to 20 per cent. today.
	NHS investment to reduce backlog maintenance will be prioritised locally based on risk assessment, reconfiguration planning and available resources. The latest figures, provided by trusts themselves, indicate that the total backlog maintenance for the NHS was 3.7 billion in 2006-07. While levels of backlog maintenance vary across the NHS, it is estimated that around 75 per cent. of the total is concentrated in 20 per cent. of organisations.
	The majority of backlog relates to low priority work which trusts will undertake through maintenance programmes. Where higher risks are present, work will be undertaken as a priority.

NHS: Finance

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many primary care trusts transferred NHS funds to local authorities in the last 12 months; and what the value of those transfers was;
	(2)  what restrictions there are on how NHS funds transferred to local authorities can be spent.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the number of primary care trusts (PCTs) transferring grants, and the value of those transfers to local authorities for the year ended 31 March 2007. No other information about the transfer of funds to local authorities (LAs) is collected centrally.
	
		
			  Type of grant  Value ( million)  Number of PCTs transferring funds in 2006-07 
			 Revenue grants to fund capital projects(1) 71.3 79 
			 Revenue grants to fund revenue projects(2) 206.2 33 
			  Sources: (1) Department of Health audited PCT accounts 2006-07. (2) Department of Health forecast outturn month 12 national health service financial returns. 
		
	
	PCTs may make payments to LAs as a contribution towards expenditure by the LA on certain community services, including social services and certain health- related services specified in legislation. These payments are made under section 256 of the National Health Service Act 2006, which re-enacted earlier legislation.
	Payments may also be made to LAs under partnership arrangements. Under section 75 of the National Health Service Act 2006 the Secretary of State may prescribe arrangements as to the making of payments by an NHS body to a LA in connection with arrangements for exercise of the NHS functions. The arrangements that may be made are specified in the NHS Bodies and Local Authorities Partnership Arrangements Regulations 2000.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1353W, on departmental public expenditure, what level of funding he estimates will be needed by strategic health authorities (SHAs) in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) each subsequent financial year until the 2012 Olympics; what this funding will be spent on; and to which SHAs it will be allocated.

Ben Bradshaw: We have agreed an allocation of at least 316,000 to NHS London for the period 2008-09. Further funding to support the delivery of health services during the Olympic Games and a lasting health legacy is under discussion. In particular the current review of sport and physical activity being led by HM Treasury will contribute to our planning for an ambitious and effective health programme leading up to 2012 and beyond. More substantial plans will be announced in August to coincide with the official start of the London Olympiad.

NHS: Fire Extinguishers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of NHS hospitals are equipped with sprinkler systems;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has produced on the use of sprinkler systems in  (a) hospitals and  (b) other NHS buildings.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of national health service hospitals equipped with sprinkler systems is not collected centrally.
	The Department publishes guidance on fire safety for the NHS in England in the Firecode suite of documents. This requires that all NHS organisations in England comply with legislation relating to fire safety. The guidance it contains about the installation of sprinklers in health care buildings is consistent with the policy of the Chief Fire Officers' Association.
	While the Firecode guidance does not specifically require the installation of sprinkler systems in patient care areas of health care buildings, it does make it clear that the design team is expected to consider the advantages that might be gained by installing sprinklers throughout the building. Firecode does however recommend that auto-suppression systems (which can include sprinkler systems) should be installed in clearly defined high fire risk or high fire load areas that are located adjacent to patient accommodation.

Patients: Transport

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require the Healthcare Commission to include the monitoring of private patient transport services provided for NHS patients in the annual health check.

Ben Bradshaw: The Healthcare Commission's annual health check is an independent assessment of performance of national health service organisations for their quality of services and use of resources. The quality element assesses an organisation on progress against the core standards, existing national targets and new national targets set out by the Department. The Healthcare Commission are currently consulting to determine their proposals for the 2008-09 assessment process.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Midwives

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fully qualified midwives were employed by Peterborough and Stamford hospitals NHS foundation trust in each quarterly period since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the count of midwifery staff at the Peterborough and Stamford hospitals NHS foundation trust at 30 September for 2001 to 2006, which are the latest figures available.
	
		
			  Peterborough and Stamford hospitals NHS foundation trust 
			   Count 
			 2001 120 
			 2002 128 
			 2003 137 
			 2004 129 
			 2005 136 
			 2006 139 
			  Notes: 1. More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total work force figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full-time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time. 2. On 25 January 2008 Alan Johnson announced 330 million in extra funding for maternity services over the next three years, which will ensure growth in the maternity work force where it is needed as well as the best possible care and a full range of choices for mothers.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census

Prescriptions: Students

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to reduce the financial burden of prescription costs on students;
	(2)  how many times Ministers met representatives of the National Union of Students to discuss NHS prescription charges in 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's review of prescription charges will be inviting views shortly on options for changes to prescription charges that are cost neutral to the national health service.
	Ministers met representatives of the National Union of Students on 23 May 2007.

Preventive Technology Grants

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of his Department's Preventative Technology Grant  (a) was spent on telecare in 2006-07 and  (b) he estimates will be spent on telecare in 2007-08; whether he plans to extend the Preventative Technology Grant into the 2008-09 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The funding provided by the Preventative Technology Grant was not ring-fenced. However, analysis by the Commission for Social Care Inspection of the overall spend on telecare by the 150 social care authorities indicates that in 2006-07 48 million was spent on telecare; and that 84 million is projected to be spent in 2007-08. These figures cover all funding sources not only the Preventative Technology Grant.
	The Preventative Technology Grant covers the years 2006-08. Local authorities are permitted to carry-over any unspent funding into 2008-09 subject to any local requirements.

Primary Care Trusts: Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chief executives of primary care trusts (PCT) received recruitment and retention premia of 30 per cent. of salary in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2005-06; what definition he uses of additional duties of a PCT chief executive; how many PCT chief executives received additional duties payment in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2005-06; and whether chief executives of PCTs were paid bonuses other than recruitment and retention payments or additional duties payments in (A) 2007-08 and (B) 2005-06.

Ann Keen: Information on the pay of chief executives in primary care trusts (PCTs) would normally be collected after the conclusion of the reporting year. We, therefore, do not yet have information for 2007-08.
	In 2005-06 chief executives in PCTs were on local contracts prior to the introduction of national pay arrangements in July 2006, and therefore we do not have information on their pay centrally.
	Additional duties for PCT chief executives are defined as
	significant responsibilities outside their core role.

Scientific Advisory Group on Pandemic Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 426-7W, on the Scientific Advisory Group on Pandemic Influenza, for what reasons the Scientific Advisory Group did not meet in 2007; and on which dates its sub-groups met during that year.

Dawn Primarolo: The Scientific Advisory Group on Pandemic Influenza (SAG) undertook its business by correspondence in 2007. In August last year, the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) took the decision to reconstitute the SAG as an independent cross-government advisory committee. An induction meeting for the new SAG is planned on 4 March 2008 and the first meeting on 4 April 2008.
	The Scientific Advisory Sub-group on Modelling met four times during 2007 on the following dates:
	15 January 2007;
	29 March 2007;
	6 June 2007; and
	19 October 2007

Skin Cancer

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what issues the SunSmart campaign will be spending resources in the summer of 2008.

Dawn Primarolo: The SunSmart programme for 2008 is currently under discussion with key stakeholders including the UK Skin Cancer Working Party, on which the Department is represented. The programme will be confirmed in due course.

Smoking

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received asking for the Easyway to Stop Smoking programme to be assessed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has received a number of representations on Allen Carr's Easyway, including requests for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to undertake an appraisal of its clinical and cost effectiveness.
	It is not within the remit of NICE to initiate or carry out clinical trials. NICE gives advice to the national health service on best clinical practice, including the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs and the treatments based on published research. It would be for the Allen Carr Easyway organisation to make arrangements for clinical trials of their products to be undertaken.

Smoking

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the relationship between smoking and macular degeneration; and if he will make a statement;

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has commissioned and evaluated no recent research on the relationship between smoking and macular degeneration.

Tattooing: Standards

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) accident and emergency admissions and  (b) GP appointments arising from poorly performed or unhygenic tattooing and body piercing in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Department has funded the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to investigate the prevalence of cosmetic body piercing in the general population in England age 16 years and over, the proportion of piercings developing complications and the proportion of piercings where professional help was sought after the piercing. The HPA is seeking to publish the results of the research in a peer-reviewed journal this year.

Tobacco

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department plans to take to prevent those under the age of 18 years purchasing cigarettes from vending machines;
	(2)  if he will strengthen the regulations on the sale of cigarettes from vending machines to under 18-year-olds.

Dawn Primarolo: There remains concern that too many children and young people under the age of 18 years purchase cigarettes from vending machines. The Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2006 survey found that 17 per cent., of 11 to 15-year-olds who are regular smokers buy cigarettes from vending machines.
	On 3 December 2007, the Department published the Cancer Reform Strategy which included a commitment to consult on proposals for the next steps in tobacco control and the further regulation of tobacco products, including access to tobacco from vending machines. This consultation will take place during spring 2008.

Tuberculosis: Screening

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what use is made by the NHS of the polymerase chain reaction test for testing for specific strains of tuberculosis in patients.

Dawn Primarolo: The Mycobacterium Reference Unit (MRU) in the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has offered a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic service to the national health service since 1999.
	PCR is a method that detects small amounts and parts of the organism's genetic material. It can be used for the following purposes:
	To detect Mycobacteria (the organisms that cause tuberculosis);
	To distinguish between Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes most cases of tuberculosis and other species of Mycobacteria;
	To identify strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are resistant to the drugs that are usually used to treat tuberculosis; and
	To look at strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from a group of people who have tuberculosis to see if they have the same strain. For example, this test can be used to indicate if the organism has spread between people in this group or if they have contracted tuberculosis from other people and have an unrelated strain.

Vaccination

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which approved  (a) vaccines and  (b) immunisations contain thiomersal; which are recommended for administration to children under the age of 18 years; and which are recommended to be taken before travelling abroad.

Dawn Primarolo: The vaccines used in the United Kingdom routine childhood immunisation programme do not contain thiomersal.
	Thiomersal is used as a preservative in very small amounts in one influenza vaccine used in the UK. Thiomersal is also used in the production process for some hepatitis B vaccines and therefore residues may be present in the final product.
	The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNac) is funded by the Department to promote clinical standards in travel medicine. Information on travel vaccinations recommended when travelling abroad is available from their website at www.nathnac.org/

Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to assess the extent to which the guidance of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is implemented on  (a) tuberculosis,  (b) influenza,  (c) human papilloma virus and  (d) respiratory syncytial virus;
	(2)  what discussions Ministers have had with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the implementation of the guidance it provides.

Dawn Primarolo: The role of Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is to advise United Kingdom Health Departments on matters relating to vaccine preventable communicable diseases. Departmental guidance based on JCVI advice is issued to the national health service through various information channels such as the Chief Medical Officer Letters, Chief Executives Bulletin, the guide Immunisation against infectious disease, websites and a range of NHS immunisation leaflets.
	Vaccine uptake data are routinely collected for most national immunisation programmes, such as BCG and influenza, and will be collected when human papilloma virus vaccines are introduced. Data are not collected on the use of palivizumab in the NHS. The administration of palivizumab is carried out in a hospital setting, based on individual clinical need at that time and unlike vaccination programmes has no fixed denominator against which uptake can be monitored.

Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what support is available to primary care trusts in implementing action pursuant to guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation;
	(2)  what guidance exists for primary care trusts and strategic health authorities on the effective implementation of guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Dawn Primarolo: Guidance on the implementation of an immunisation programme is made available to the national health service and others through various information channels such as the Chief Medical Officer Letters, Chief Executives Bulletin, the guide Immunisation against infectious disease, websites and a range of NHS immunisation leaflets.
	Funding for the implementation of immunisations is contained within the overall primary care trusts (PCTs) budget. Additional support is usually provided to PCTs to implement new vaccination programmes. A national conference for PCTs was held in October on the human papilloma virus vaccination programme. A second conference is planned, and a range of supporting resources is being made available on the www.immunisation.nhs.uk website as they are developed.

Vaccination

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vaccines are being researched or developed in the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Energy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken to assist developing countries to modernise their energy sectors in the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: At the Gleneagles summit in 2005, the UK secured G8 agreement that the World Bank should lead on establishing a new Clean Energy Investment Framework (CEIF) to support global action to tackle climate change. The framework will increase public and private sector investments in three areas, one of which is access to modern energy services in developing countries. The UK has committed 15 million to the CEIF so far.
	Separately, the UK has established an 800 million international window of the UK Environment Trust Fund (ETF-IW) to reduce poverty through action on climate change. We are exploring how best to use this money to stimulate a step change in international financing for climate change. An important element will be to support developing countries adopt low carbon development paths, including the modernisation of their energy sectors.
	DFID supports other international efforts to improve the provision of affordable energy in developing countries, such as the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP), the EU Energy Initiative (EUEI) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance programme (ESMAP). DFID has committed 4 million (2007-11) to GVEP, 3.8 million (2005-08) to ESMAP and 600,000 to the EUEI since 2004.

Middle East: Overseas Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the end-use of UK aid to the Palestinian Authority in respect of books and educational materials used in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The UK does not fund Palestinian Authority education textbooks, nor do we provide funding to the Ministry of Education. The UK supports public services through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) but the TIM does not contribute to the production of educational materials.
	The new Palestinian curriculum, introduced in the past few years, does not include textbooks that promote violence or hatred. This has been confirmed by the EC, reputable international academics and by the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), commissioned at the request of the United States.

Sierra Leone

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken to assist Sierra Leone in developing its economy in the last five years.

Gillian Merron: In the immediate post-conflict period, UK Government's strategy in Sierra Leone focused on establishing peace and security, ensuring macroeconomic stability and re-building state institutions. The aim was to create the overall framework of stability and rule of law that was necessary for economic development to take hold. This strategy was complemented by specific economic programmes to support investment by removing many of the administrative barriers and improving governance in the mining sector. DFID has spent approximately 164 million over the last five years.
	Currently the DFID Sierra Leone office is managing a 10 million portfolio of multi-year interventions to stimulate growth in the private sector, as well as a recently agreed 20 million programme to support the energy sector, and a 16 million programme to modernise tax administration, reducing costs of compliance for businesses.

South Africa: HIV Infection

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of South Africa on HIV/AIDS.

Gillian Merron: The DFID Southern Africa office and the British high commission in Pretoria hold regular discussions with the Government of South Africa on the issue of HIV and AIDS. In order to progress the UK's 30 million HIV and AIDS programme, DFID officials recently met with the South African Ministers for Health and Social Development and the vice chair of the South African National AIDS Council, which oversees the South African responses to AIDS.

South Africa: HIV Infection

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of progress in tackling HIV/AIDS in South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: South Africa has the highest burden of HIV and AIDS in the world. Over 5.5 million people are infected, and it is estimated that in 2007 over one sixth of the world's population with HIV live in South Africa. Recent data from antenatal clinics suggest a modest decline in prevalence rates: in 2006, 29 per cent. of all pregnant women had HIV, down from 30 per cent. in 2005. However, the UNAIDS Global update states that there is no evidence of a decrease in HIV among young South Africans.
	Over the past year there has been renewed optimism that South Africa is beginning to scale up efforts to tackle HIV and AIDS. On 3 May the South African Cabinet approved a new national strategic plan for AIDS, with interim targets that put South Africa on track to achieve universal access by 2011. The plan is overseen by a revitalised South African National AIDS Council which brings together all Government departments and 17 civil society sectors, including people living with HIV and AIDS, business, researchers, women, faith based organisations and traditional leaders. The UK provided technical assistance, through UNAIDS, to this revitalisation process.
	DFID has also directly supported India (28.5 million, 2002-10), Bangladesh (up to 50 million, 2005-10), and Iraq (about 21 million since 2003) to upgrade their energy sectors. We have recently committed 20 million to help Sierra Leone (2008-13).
	We spent approximately 1.75 million during the last five years on energy research to help developing countries address energy sector challenges and have committed a further 3.75 million (2007-12) to look at the contribution bio-energy can make to poverty reduction in Africa. We are planning to develop an additional research programme to look at energy policy options for developing countries as they consider what action is needed to tackle climate change.

South Africa: Overseas Aid

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid was provided to South Africa by the Government in each of the last five years, broken down by type of aid.

Gillian Merron: Information on UK aid to South Africa is available in the DFID publication 'Statistics on International Development 2007'. This publication is available online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk.
	Relevant figures are reproduced in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: UK total bilateral gross public expenditure (GPEX) on development to South Africa, 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			  000 
			  Year  DFID Technical co-operation  DFID humanitarian assistance  Other DFID bilateral aid  Aid from other UK official sources  Total GPEX 
			 2002(-)03 22,758 95 13,581 20,751 57,186 
			 2003(-)04 23,856  18,520 50,956 93,332 
			 2004(-)05 13,960  16,554 18,418 48,932 
			 2005(-)06 15,608  13,370 50,388 79,366 
			 2006(-)07 16,321  8,710 5,256 30,286 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Imputed UK share of multilateral official development assistance (ODA) 2001-05 
			   South Africa  ( 000 ) 
			 2001 9,639 
			 2002 10,338 
			 2003 1 1,458 
			 2004 10,980 
			 2005 13,699

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Higher Education

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which universities his Department has formally requested to apply to establish an academy school.

Jim Knight: There is no process by which the Department for Children, Schools and Families formally requests universities to apply to establish an Academy.
	However, the Department has had, and continues to have, discussions with a number of universities about the Academies programme.

Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that teachers are trained to inform young people about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Jim Knight: holding answer 31 January 2008
	Alcohol education should be delivered (along with other drug education) through well planned personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). We are committed to helping teachers and schools improve their planning and delivery of this important area and there is a Government-funded continuing professional development programme for PSHE, which all teachers of drug (including alcohol) education are encouraged to undertake. The programme, accredited by Roehampton university, is also open to community nurses and supports standards in the delivery of PSHE teaching. Over 6,000 teachers and nurses have been certificated or are participating in the programme.

Care Homes: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of children's homes do not meet the national standards for care homes.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 16 January 2008:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	Since Ofsted took over the inspection of children's homes from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (on 1 April 2007), we have inspected against the Every Child Matters outcomes. Within these outcomes we judge compliance with the National Minimum Standards for children's homes and associated regulations.
	As of 1 January 2008, there were 1,995 registered children's homes. Of these, 1,738 have been inspected at least once by Ofsted since 1 April 2007 and their inspection report finalised and ready for publication by 1 January 2008.
	Of those inspected, 170 of the 1,738 children's homes were judged as providing inadequate care. This represents 10% of the total number of children's homes inspected, based on their last inspection during this time period.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Beverley Hughes, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and a copy will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Children: Obesity

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to amend the initial teacher training syllabus to counteract childhood obesity.

Jim Knight: holding answer 31 January 200 8
	There is no prescribed curriculum or syllabus for initial teacher training, but to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status trainees must be able to demonstrate that they are aware of current legal requirements, national policies and guidance on the safeguarding and promotion of the well-being of children and young people.
	The Government recently announced the first steps in their strategy to help people maintain healthy weight and live healthy lives and, as an important part of that, they are making food technology compulsory at key stage 3 for every 11 to 14-year-old from September 2011with food technology lessons, involving practical cooking lessons and classes on diet, nutrition, hygiene and healthy food shopping. Extra food technology teachers are to be recruited to lead in this and the initial teacher training that they receive, specifically to teach this subject, will contain detail on diet and nutrition, as it does now.

Classroom Assistants

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department provides to schools on the use of teaching assistants to cover qualified teachers who are absent.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families is absolutely clear that support staff such as teaching assistants are not substitutes for qualified teachers. Provided certain conditions are met, however, support staff are permitted to carry out specified work, which includes delivering lessons to pupils. These conditions are set out in The Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations 2003 and (Amended) Regulations 2007 and accompanying Guidance http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/11731/Time_for_Standards_2007.pdf and are: that the member of staff concerned carries out the work in order to assist or support the work of a qualified teacher in the school and is subject to the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher in accordance with arrangements made by the head teacher of the school; and that the head teacher is satisfied that the support staff member has the skills, expertise and experience required to carry out the work.
	In determining whether the person has the skills, expertise and experience required to carry out specified work, the head teacher should have regard to the standards for higher-level teaching assistants that are published by the Department.
	In addition, the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG), which includes the majority of school workforce associations and unions and employers, as well as the Department and Welsh Assembly Government, has published guidance on cover supervision.
	http://www.tda.gov.uk/upload/resources/pdf/w/wamg_guidance_cover.pdf
	During cover supervision, no active teaching takes place but pupils continue their learning by carrying out a pre-prepared exercise under supervision (usually by a member of support staff). The guidance makes clear that cover supervision is appropriate only for short-term absence and that the head teacher must be satisfied that the member of staff supervising the class has the necessary training and skills.
	Guidance and support to schools on the use of support staff for providing cover, as well as more generally, is also available through a network of local authority-based workforce advisers funded by the Training and Development Agency for Schools. Any school wanting further advice on this issue is best advised to contact the local authority concerned.

Connexions Card

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  for what reasons the Youth Opportunity Card pilots were conducted on a timescale shorter than that outlined in his Department's Youth Matters: Next Steps, Something to do, Somewhere to go, Someone to talk to; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many pilots of the Youth Opportunity Card took place; how many cards were issued under those pilots; what the total cost of the pilots was; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 4 February 2008
	In February 2007 we took the decision not to proceed with the Youth Opportunity Card pilots and therefore no cards were issued. For details on the reasons for this and the cost of the card project, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 945W, to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).

Food: Secondary Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government plan to take to support schools in providing mandatory cooking lessons.

Jim Knight: To support schools to provide food technology to all their pupils at key stage 3 from September 2011 the Government will:
	Make available approximately 800 secondary school food technology teacher training places during the next three years.
	Introduce new specialist food technology higher level teaching assistants to strengthen the school workforce capacity to teach cooking.
	Provide training and support through our Licence to Cook programme to schools which do not currently teach food technology. Licence to Cook is a non-statutory cooking entitlement for 11 to 16-year-olds starting this September.
	Make available 2.5 million a year from September 2011 towards the cost of ingredients for pupils entitled to free school meals. We will also explore with retailers and the food industry what they might do to help schools ensure that everyone has access to healthy basic ingredients.
	Pilot innovative practical cookery rooms in BSF as it rolls out and disseminate exemplar designs to ensure that new schools include suitable 21st century spaces.
	Carrying out over the coming months a survey of the 15 per cent. of secondary schools which do not currently offer food technology at key stage 3 in order to understand what additional support they will need to enable them to offer food technology.

Food: Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely number of additional teachers needed to provide cookery lessons in schools for 11 to 14-year-olds over the next three years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely cost of re-training existing teachers to provide cookery lessons in schools;
	(3)  how many secondary schools do not provide cookery lessons;
	(4)  what account the setting of teacher training intake targets for 2008 has taken of the policy on the provision of compulsory cookery classes;
	(5)  what discussions he has with the Training and Development Agency for Schools on increasing the number of teachers who specialise in teaching cookery.

Jim Knight: The Department has recently provided the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) with targets for teacher training places in secondary subjects for the three year period 2008-09 to 2010-2011. We will make available approximately 800 secondary school food technology teacher training places in this period.
	These figures were all based on outputs from our teacher supply model, which takes account of range of factors that determine how many teacher training places we need to set for future years. One of these factors is new curriculum pressures or initiatives that will affect the number of teachers needed in different subjects, and one of these was a need to provide more teachers of food technology. The targets we gave the TDA therefore made allowance for an expansion in this area. The modelling and targets also took account of the fact that there will be significantly fewer secondary pupils in the next few years.
	We have been working with the TDA to find ways of increasing the number of teachers of food technology in recent years. We will continue to do so in pursuit of this new commitment that the Government have announced.
	Approximately 15 per cent. of secondary schools do not currently offer food technology at key stage 3. In March 2008 we will be carrying out a survey of these schools in order to understand what additional support will be needed to enable them to offer food technology. In advance of the results of that survey, no estimate has been made of the cost of retraining existing teachers.

Food: Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether compulsory cookery lessons will be provided in academies.

Jim Knight: Cookery lessons will not be compulsory in academies. However, we expect all academies to offer cookery courses as they all have or will have high quality cooking facilities.

Food: Secondary Education

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to ensure that  (a) food labelling,  (b) farming,  (c) the origins of food and  (d) obesity become part of the compulsory cooking lessons syllabus for children aged 11 to 14 years.

Jim Knight: Beginning in September 2008, the revised key stage 3 design and technology programme of study will require pupils to be taught:
	a broad range of practical skills, techniques and equipment and standard recipes, and how to use them to develop, plan and cook meals and single or multiple products;
	how to plan and carry out a broad range of practical cooking tasks safely and hygienically;
	healthy eating models relating to a balanced diet, nutritional needs of different groups in society and factors affecting food choice and how to take these into account when planning, preparing and cooking meals and products; and
	the characteristics of a broad range of ingredients including their nutritional, functional and sensory properties.
	Food technology will be an optional strand of the programme of study from 2008 and become compulsory in all maintained schools from September 2011.
	We are supporting the Year of Food and Farming that is bringing together a unique education and industry partnership across the country to help schools teach about farming and the origins of food. Our Growing Schools programme will take forward the legacy from the year, providing continued support for schools, including information and guidance on farm visits.

Foster Care

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of local authorities in administering support required by primary legislation to parents who foster and adopt children.

Kevin Brennan: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 532W.
	The research study into the specialist support services available for birth parents in adoption cases, referred to in the earlier reply, is now due to report to the Department in September 2008.

Foster Care

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) couples and  (b) individuals made enquiries to local authorities to (i) foster and (ii) adopt a child or children in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 532W.

Gifted Children

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the criteria are for access to the Gifted and Talented scheme; and what measures his Department has taken to ensure that selection for the scheme is fair and objective.

Jim Knight: Secondary schools and post-16 institutions are asked to identify those pupils who meet the published criteria for the national top 5 per cent. by ability whether or not they were known to be registered with the former National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY). These criteria are at:
	http://ygt.dcsf.gov.uk/FileLinks/312_MainLink.pdf
	All primary and secondary schools and post-16 institutions are also asked to identify as gifted and talented pupils whose ability is developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group within that school/college, or who have the potential to develop such ability. Schools and colleges are expected to follow the Department's guidance at:
	http:/ygt.dcsf.gov.uk/FileLinks/312_DFES%20identification%20document.pdf

Intimidation: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many reported cases of bullying there were in each school in Easington constituency in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Kevin Brennan: The requested information is not collected centrally.
	Tables showing the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions in each local authority area by reason for exclusion have been placed in the Library. This includes a category relating to bullying. School level data on exclusions by reason could be produced only at disproportionate costs.

Physical Education

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the amount of physical education training provided during initial teacher training for primary school teachers.

Jim Knight: holding answer 31 January 2008
	Training providers must design their programmes to enable trainees to meet the standards for qualified teacher status. These standards set out what the outcomes of training must be, but neither this Department nor the Training and Development Agency for Schools prescribe either the content of training, or the amount of time that must be spent on each aspect of it.
	Most training takes place in schools and this provides trainees with the opportunities they need to meet all of the standards. The standards themselves require trainees to be able to teach across the range of core and non-core subjects of the pupils' curriculum, including PE. In addition, all trainees are expected to be able to create safe learning environments when they teach.
	The overall amount of time available for training on many primary programmes is inevitably limited. Training providers themselves make professional judgments about the balance of the various elements of the training programme. Additionally, they are required to take account of individual training needs and to personalise training provision to meet the needs of individual trainees. The specification of training hours for aspects of provision would not be consistent with this flexible approach.

Pre-School Education: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of the public spending on Sure Start, early years and childcare announced on 2 August 2007 will be allocated to each of the five projects mentioned in the announcement in each of the next three years.

Beverley Hughes: Over 4 billion has been allocated to Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare in the next three years and will help to improve life for disadvantaged children in England.
	The following table shows a breakdown of funds allocated between 2008-09 and 2010-11:
	
		
			   million 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Children's Centres 574 748 883 
			 Sufficiency and Access 122 127 129 
			 Outcomes, Quality and Inclusion 127 147 164 
			 Graduate Leader Fund 40 57 79 
			 Extended Schools 69 0 0 
			 Early Years Foundation Stage 5 0 0 
			 Sure Start Local Programmes 311 275 252 
			 Total 1,248 1,354 1,507 
			  Notes: 1. The announcement made in August 2007 mentioned five aims which the funding will contribute to. However, the funding was actually allocated across the seven areas shown in the table. 2. In July 2007, a sum of 1.1 billion was announced for Extended Schools for the next three years. This amount includes the 69 million stated in the table, to meet the start up cost for Extended Schools. The majority of extended schools funding will be delivered via other funding routes, including area-based grant and the Standards Fund.

Pupils

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to improve the emotional wellbeing of school children since 1997;
	(2)  what support the Government provide to schools for children with mental health problems.

Jim Knight: holding answer 4 February 2008
	A variety of work has been developed to improve the emotional wellbeing and mental health of school children. The National Healthy Schools programme which has existed since 1999 promotes a whole school approach to both physical and emotional health, and one of its core themes is emotional health and wellbeing. To achieve national healthy school status, schools now need to satisfy the criteria for all four core themes and last year new guidance was issued on promoting emotional health and wellbeing to support work in this area. Currently 95 per cent. of schools have joined the National Healthy Schools programme and 55 per cent. are meeting the new standards.
	The National Framework for Children and Young People and Maternity Services (NSF), published in 2004, set out a 10-year programme of improvements for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). In support of this, grant funding to local authorities for CAMHS has increased from 10 million in 1999-2000 to 91 million in each financial year from 2003-04 to 2007-08 to strengthen the provision of targeted mental health services for children and adolescents. We also announced plans in 2007 for an independent review of CAMHS.
	The Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme was created to develop all children and young people's social and emotional skills at school, which help to underpin emotional wellbeing, and it was made available to primary schools in 2005. Approximately 60 per cent. of primary schools have voluntarily adopted SEAL, and 15 to 20 per cent. of secondary schools are expected to start implementing it by July 2008.
	In 2007 we announced that we will invest an additional 60 million over three years to support schools to work with mental health practitioners and others to improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of pupils.

Pupils: Fingerprints

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in Essex fingerprint pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 30 January 2008
	The Department is not aware of any schools in Essex which fingerprint pupils. Some schools may use biometric technology systems involving the recording of some fingerprint characteristics.
	The Department does not routinely keep records of such schools since the decision to introduce biometric technology is for each school to make.

Schools: Closures

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools closed in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Jim Knight: The primary and secondary schools that have closed within the last five years, by year and local authority are shown in a document that has been placed in the House Library.
	Schools can be closed for a number of reasons including: to meet demographic changes (population decline); as part of an amalgamation; to allow a Fresh Start school to replace a school in special measures; to allow a school with a religious character to replace a school without a religious character; or as part of another type of local reorganisation.

Schools: Finance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the closing date is for applications for grants from the basic needs allocation-related safety valve fund in the present period;
	(2)  how much has been allocated to the basic needs allocation-related safety valve fund;
	(3)  how many applications for the basic needs allocation-related safety valve fund have been made, broken down by  (a) authority and  (b) value of application.

Jim Knight: The closing date for applications for basic need safety valve funding, in respect of the spending review period 2008-09 to 2010-11, is 29 February. No budget has been allocated specifically for these applications as this is a demand-led programme. Total additional capital allocations for new pupil places will depend upon the value of successful applications that are received.
	No completed application has yet been received.

Schools: Offensive Weapons

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many incidents involving knives were reported at schools in England in 2007;
	(2)  how many knives were confiscated at schools in England in 2007.

Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Schools: Parents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many groups of parents have established maintained schools under section 10 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006; and where these schools are located.

Jim Knight: holding answer 1 February 2008
	No schools have yet been established by groups of parents under section 10 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. With the support of the local authority, proposals have been published by a group which include parents for a new secondary school to open in Sheffield in 2011 to replace two closing schools. There is also interest from parents' groups in entering proposals for new schools into competitions.

Schools: Rural Areas

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's policy is on the future of small rural schools; what discussions he has had with the National Association for Small Schools on closures of such schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There has been no change in Government policy towards small rural schools. The Department has taken, and will continue to take, measures to support both schools and communities in rural areas. The presumption against the closure of rural primary schools, which we introduced in 1998, is working well and local authorities must continue to make decisions on the future of rural schools in accordance with our statutory guidance.
	Responsibility for the overall planning of school places rests with local authorities and we expect them to ensure that school places are where parents want them. The case for closure needs to be strong and clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area. There are other actions that can be taken to reduce surplus places without closing schools.
	The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the National Association for Small Schools but I have responded to correspondence from this organisation in December 2007 confirming the measures that are in place to protect small rural schools.

Schools: Rural Areas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will undertake an assessment of the appropriateness of the value for money criteria in relation to the schools grant for providing education services in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The distribution mechanism for DSG does not include value for money criteria in relation to education services in rural areas. The starting point for the calculation of 2008-09 DSG allocation is each authority's DSG guaranteed unit of funding per pupil, which in turn depends on the amount the authority budgeted to spend in 2005-06. This was closely related to the Schools Formula Spending Share (FSS) calculation, which took account (as one of a number of factors) of the needs of rural authorities through an addition for pupils in primary schools: this recognised the additional costs faced by rural authorities in keeping open more small primary schools than other authorities.

Secondary Education: Standards

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 174-75W, to the hon. Member for South Holland and the Deepings (Mr. Hayes), on secondary education: standards, what the figures are excluding pupils from selective schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 1 February 2008
	The table shows the number and rate of permanent and fixed period exclusions from grammar and other secondary schools for the latest available reporting period.
	
		
			  Secondary schools( 1) : Number of exclusions2005/06England 
			   Grammar schools  Other secondary schools  Total 
			 Number of permanent exclusions(2) 40 7,950 7,990 
			 Percentage of school population(3) 0.03 0.25 0.24 
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 2,290 341,550 343,840 
			 Percentage of school population(3) 1.47 10.84 10.40 
			 (1) Excludes city technology colleges and academies. Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Figures relating to permanent exclusions have been estimated. (3) The number of exclusions expressed as a percentage of the school population.  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census

Separation

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the reasons why (i) foster family units break down and (ii) family units with an adopted child or children breakdown.

Kevin Brennan: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 565W. No further research has been commissioned since that reply was given.
	The research study referred to in the earlier reply is now due to report to the Department in December 2008.

Special Educational Needs: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many appeals against a refusal on the part of Essex County Council to issue a statement of special needs there were in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	In the period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2007 (the last five calendar years) the special educational needs and disability tribunal (SENDIST) has registered 19 appeals against Essex LEA where the type of appeal was against refusal to make a statement. This was out of a total of 674 appeals that SENDIST registered against Essex LEA.

Special Educational Needs: Somerset

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many tribunals were held in Somerset relating to children with special educational needs statements in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the outcome was of those tribunals.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The special educational needs and disability tribunal (SENDIST) publish statistical information in its annual reports by the school year. In the latest period, 1 September 2006 to 31 August 2007, SENDIST decided 12 appeals against Somerset local education authority. Of the 12 appeals decided, seven were upheld, either wholly or in part, and five dismissed.

Special Educational Needs: Somerset

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in Somerset had special educational needs statements at the latest date for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: In 2007 there were 1,266 pupils with statements of special educational needs (SEN) maintained by Somerset local authority.

Special Educational Needs: Somerset

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the special educational needs budget is for Somerset county council in 2007-08; how much of the budget is allocated to each category of special educational needs; and how much is allocated for  (a) the employment of staff and  (b) other expenditure.

Kevin Brennan: The information for Somerset local authority about what the budget is for special educational needs is as follows:
	
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs( 1,)( )( 2) , 2007-08( 3,)( )( 4) 
			
			 Somerset local authority 40,845,000 
			 (1) Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as notional SEN and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools. 
			 (2) The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against notional SEN are only indicative of the amount that might by spent by schools on SEN. In addition to the planned expenditure in the table, Somerset LA also budgeted 3.3 million for SEN transport expenditure during 2007-08. (3) 2007-08 data are subject to change by the local authority. (4) Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds and may not sum due to rounding.  Notes: 1. Cash terms figures as reported by Somerset local authority as at 29 January 2008. 2. The data are drawn from Somerset local authority's 2007-08 Section 52 Budget Statements (Tables 1 and 2) submitted to the DCSF (formally the DfES). 
		
	
	The Department does not collect separate figures on how much is allocated for the employment of staff and other expenditure.

Specialised Diplomas

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of teachers that will be required to undergo training to teach a syllabus for the new diplomas.

Jim Knight: The Department has estimated that up to 3,800 teachers (including those in the further education and post-compulsory education sectors) will be required to undergo training to prepare for the first teaching of diplomas in September 2008.

Specialised Diplomas

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the average cost per head of the training which teachers will be required to undertake to teach a syllabus for the new diplomas.

Jim Knight: The Department directly funds a package of blended support that includes face to face training supplemented by a combination of materials, online resources and access to local teacher development networks. The current face to face training component is estimated to cost about 1,160 per head.

Sure Start

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 666W, on Sure Start, what discussions his Department has had with Kent County Council on the allocation of its ring-fenced Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant since 9 January 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: There have been no further discussions between officials in the Department and Kent county council on the allocation of the ring-fenced Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant since my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey's (Derek Wyatt) question on 9 January 2008. Together for Children, the consortium we have appointed to support local authorities during the development of Sure Start Children's Centres, are, however, in discussion with Kent county council's Early Years Officers about their future plans for children's centres. The memorandum of grant for 2008-09, referred to in my earlier answer, will be issued to Kent county council shortly. This will set out the conditions attached to the Grant and make clear that the ring fenced grant can only be used for services in Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), and centres based on SSLPs, and cannot be used for new children's centres.

Teachers: Pay

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what reviews of teachers' pay are scheduled to take place in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Jim Knight: In his parliamentary statement of 15 January 2008, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has indicated that he intends to set the School Teachers' Review Body a remit in the course of 2008 to enable them to ensure that the teachers' pay increases they have proposed for 2009 and 2010 continue to be appropriate.

Teachers: Yorkshire and Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many full-time equivalent  (a) teachers,  (b) teaching assistants and  (c) support staff there were in local education authority schools in (i) Yorkshire and Humber and (ii) City of York in (A) 1997 and (B) the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of regular teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff employed in local authority maintained schools in England, Yorkshire and the Humber government office region and the City of York local authority in England, January 1997 and 2007.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent regular teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff in local authority maintained schools in England, Yorkshire and the Humber government office region and the City of York local authority, January 1997 and 2007 
			   Regular teachers( 1)  Teaching assistants( 2,)( )( 3)  Support staff( 2,)( )( 4)  (excluding teaching assistants) 
			   1997  2007  1997  2007  1997  2007 
			 England 399,200 435,200 60,580 162,990 72,900 142,610 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 41,900 44,600 7,700 17,920 7,160 15,370 
			 City of York 1,290 1,400 140 520 180 330 
			 (1) SourceDCSF annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies (618 g) (2) SourceDCSF School Census (3) Teaching assistants include special needs support staff and minority ethnic support staff. (4) Support staff include administrative staff, technicians and other support staff.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Truancy: Females

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many girls between the ages of 13 and 16 were removed from school rolls after failing to return from an authorised absence abroad during 2006.

Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Young People: Transport

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to encourage sharing good practice in the provision of transport for young people since his Department published, Youth matters: next steps, in March 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: As a result of Youth Matters: Next Steps, the Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a duty on local authorities to secure young people's access to positive activities. To do so local authorities will need to identify and address barriers to access, including, where applicable and practicable, issues associated with the provision of transport. There are a number of ways in which local authorities can tackle transport barriers, including using subsidy and involving young people in local transport planning.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families signalled its further commitment to improving transport for young people taking part in positive activities through Aiming High for Young People: a ten year strategy for positive activities published in July 2007. The strategy contains a commitment to improve existing guidance, support and challenge to children's trusts and transport planners to encourage joined up planning and commissioning of transport for the benefit of young people.
	DCSF is working with Department for Transport colleagues to develop plans to implement this commitment.
	In Bedfordshire, 50,000 of Youth Opportunity Fund money is supporting a transport scheme to help young people in rural areas access activities. In Nottingham, the DCSF is supporting the city council in a pilot which will give economically disadvantaged young people the equivalent of 20 a month free public transport to help them access positive activities.

Youth Services: Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on youth centres in each of the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: Youth centres are delivered locally by local authorities through their youth provision and national and local voluntary youth organisations. Information is not held centrally on how much has been spent on youth centres at local, regional or national level. However, the following table includes details of the planned net expenditure on youth service by local authorities in England for 2007-08:
	
		
			  Planned net expenditure on youth service by local authorities in England: 2007-08 
			   2007-08 ()( 1, 2) 
			 Planned net expenditure on youth service(3) by local authorities in England 410,373,000 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds. (2) 2007-08 figures is subject to change by the local authority. (3) Youth service includes the following items of planned expenditure on the youth service and youth work: Employees Staff Training Premises related expenditure Transport related expenditure Supplies and services Third-party payments Support services Youth work costs at residential and non-residential youth centres Youth work costs at activity at outdoor and urban studies centres Grant funding to the voluntary sector for youth work.  Notes: 1. Figures are drawn from local authorities 2007-08 Section 52 Budget Statements (Table 1 line 2.7.1) submitted to the DCSF (formally DfES). 2. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 28 January 2008.

JUSTICE

Bail: Crimes of Violence

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many violent offences were committed by persons on bail during the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by category of offence.

Maria Eagle: Court proceedings data held by my Department do not identify whether persons were on bail at the time of committing an offence.

Bail: Reoffenders

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider introducing procedures to improve the accountability of the magistracy for decisions to grant bail to defendants who then commit further crimes while on bail.

Maria Eagle: The court's decision on whether to grant bail or remand a defendant in custody is governed by the Bail Act 1976. The court must decide on each occasion, with all the information before it, if the defendant presents such a bail risk as to warrant custody. This decision is an exercise of judicial discretion.

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government has taken to ensure Coal Health Compensation Schemes are being effectively dealt with.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 31 January 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Department negotiated Claims Handling Agreements (CHAs) for each of the Coal Health Compensation Schemes with the groups representing claimants' solicitors. These set out in detail how claims will be processed. They also provide for solicitors costs of successful claims to be met by the Department to ensure claimants are legally represented.
	The Department also has in place detailed audit procedures to ensure that all its contractors comply with the procedures set down under the CHAs for the Coal Health Compensation Schemes.
	With regard to individual offers, claimant representatives have access to all of the Department's calculators and are able to confirm the offer made.
	There are also dispute procedures in place should the representative or client wish to query the amount.
	The CHAs can be viewed on the Department's website:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/coal-health/publications/claims-handling-agreements/page16256.html

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government has taken in relation to solicitors and third parties who have billed clients claiming under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme.

Bridget Prentice: The Government believes it is important that miners who complain to the Law Society under the coal health compensation schemes get the level of service and compensation they deserve. The Government therefore takes a close interest in this issue.
	The legal profession is independent and as such complaints about solicitors are a matter for the Law Society rather than Government. However the Government seeks regular updates from the Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to ensure that progress is being made in dealing with these complaints against solicitors. The Government appointed the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner in 2004 as an independent regulator of the Law Society's complaints handling functions.
	The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has authorised investigations into 60 firms of solicitors; 20 firms have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and the SRA has won the first three disciplinary cases heard there. To date, solicitors have refunded over 3 million to miners. This figure is expected to rise as more investigations are completed.
	The Government have legislated in the Legal Services Act 2007 to create an independent Office for Legal Complaints, which will remove complaints handling from the legal professional bodies. It will also enable approved regulators to deal more effectively with cases of widespread wrongdoing in the future.
	In June 2007, the Government sent a joint letter to all the solicitors involved in the scheme to remind them again of their obligations to pay back money to claimants where this was taken without their consent.
	The LCS is taking forward awareness raising initiatives such as the Rother Valley Pilot which involved mailing an information pack to each named individual on the DBERR database of original government coal health compensation schemes COPD and VWF claimants within the Rother Valley parliamentary constituency.
	The LCS will now write to all living claimants on the DBERR database in order to raise awareness and to identify all outstanding consumer dissatisfaction within a 12-month period.

Constituencies

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the estimated general election electorate will be of each Parliamentary constituency under the revised Parliamentary boundaries for England that will be in operation for the next general election.

Bridget Prentice: The report of the Boundary Commission for England, Cm 7032, published in 2007, contains the boundary commission's proposals for parliamentary constituencies in England. It provides the electorate for each new constituency in England as at 2000 and 2006. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 gave effect without modification to the recommendations in the boundary commission's report and the new boundaries will take effect at the next parliamentary general election. I understand that ONS will publish on 28 February a table of parliamentary electors by parliamentary constituency using the new boundaries based on data from the 2007 canvass of electors.

Constituencies

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if the Government will take steps to ensure that the rules for the next Parliamentary boundary reviews reduce the likelihood of a deviation of constituency electorates from quota of more than 10 per cent. above/below quota.

Bridget Prentice: Under the current rules governing reviews by the boundary commissions, the electorate of any constituency must be as near the electoral quota (broadly, this is the average number of electors in each constituency) as is practicable. The boundary commissions may depart from strict application of the rules in specified circumstances, in particular if special geographical considerations apply. The Government agreed in their response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life's Eleventh report, Review of the Electoral Commission, that it would be appropriate to review the current legislation in relation to the conduct of parliamentary boundary work. Any review is likely to consider the sorts of issues raised by the hon. Member.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many coroner inquest cases into the deaths of armed forces personnel overseas are outstanding.

Bridget Prentice: I refer my right hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement published on 31 January for details of the status of all inquests into the deaths of armed forces personnel overseas as at 21 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 35-37WS. Since this date a further five inquests have been heard.

Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many crimes were committed by people on bail in the last period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Court proceedings data held by my Department do not identify whether persons were on bail at the time of committing an offence.

Criminal Justice Act 2003

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 have not yet come into force; and when he expects each to come into force;
	(2)  which provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 have yet to come into force; and when he expects each to come into force.

Jack Straw: Only a small percentage of the 335 substantive sections in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 have yet to be fully implemented. These are: S.23A; s.34-s.35; s.43; s.62-s.66; s.137-s.138; s.151; s.154-s.155; s.161; s.181; s.188; s.280-s.283; and s.298.
	Officials are actively working on these areas of legislation with a view to implementation, considering resource implications; undertaking pilot exercises; or examining other necessary procedures and practices.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what products featuring departmental or Government branding have been procured by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies since its establishment.

Maria Eagle: Since the Ministry of Justice was established on 9 May 2007, my Department has procured a range of products with the new Ministry of Justice branding, as part of our ongoing communications to stakeholders and the general public. These comprised:
	Corporate display materials
	Publications (including corporate reports, consultation and research papers)
	Public information booklets
	Building signage
	Hard stationery such as pre-printed letterheads, business cards and compliment slips
	Lanyards
	The executive agencies within the Ministry of Justice produce materials using their own branding.
	The MOJ branding also appears on electronic media such as Ministerial press notices and the Ministry of Justice website.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Year-end-bonus payments are awarded to high performing staff in all grades to reflect their individual contribution during the previous year. Performance years run from 1 April to 31 March. The following table reflects payments to staff on former DCA terms and conditions:
	
		
			   
			 2002-03 779,357 
			 2003-04 1,024,750 
			 2004-05 1,385,594 
			 2005-06 1,567,635 
			 2006-07 1,834,466 
		
	
	With the establishment of the Ministry of Justice in May 2007, HM Prison Service became an agency of the new Ministry. Information on bonus payments to staff in HM Prison Service is available only at disproportionate costs. In addition, under the same the machinery of Government changes, approximately 3,200 former Home Office Civil Servants joined the Ministry of Justice. These staff were subject to the Home Office pay award during 2002-07 and payments to them (including those for the Office of Criminal Justice Reform and the Probation Service) are included in the figures provided by in the response to the same question for the Home Office.

Electoral Register

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the  (a) set-up and  (b) ongoing costs of introducing individual electoral registration.

Bridget Prentice: The Government agree with the principle of individual registration but is not yet convinced that it could be implemented in Great Britain (GB) without causing a significant drop in the registration rate.
	An assessment of the set up and ongoing cost for introducing individual registration was made following the Electoral Commission's Voting for Change Report in 2003.
	At that time, it was estimated that the cost of an annual canvass under household registration stood at approximately 40 million. Likely costs of the annual canvass under individual registration were estimated at approximately 55 million and the one off set-up costs of implementing individual registration at approximately 17 million. These figures did not take account of the potential for the ongoing costs of individual registration to be mitigated by reducing the frequency of the annual canvass as in Northern Ireland.
	Under section 67 the Electoral Administration Act 2006, the Electoral Commission has power to collect financial information about expenditure of registration. This will provide up to date and more complete data to estimate costs for policy changes for elections in the future.
	Our vision for electoral registration is clear: we want to protect the rights of every eligible person to participate in the UK's democratic process by ensuring complete, accurate and secure electoral registration.
	Any new system of electoral registration in Great Britain would need to be tailored to current circumstances, and in particular, would need to address the challenge of under registration as an estimated 3.5 million eligible electors are not currently registered to vote.

Electoral Register

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the process for determining the security requirements for the CORE electoral database; and which consultancies have been employed to produce a business impact assessment.

Bridget Prentice: The security requirements of the CORE electoral database will be determined within the overall specification by business and user requirements. An analysis of those requirements should be completed by the end of the year. Under current plans an appointment should be made by April following completion of a competitive tender. In the meantime, as a first step, Vega Group plc have been employed to undertake a business impact assessment to establish the protective marking of data held on the CORE system.

Electoral Register

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the specifications for the CORE electoral database will facilitate the sharing of data with the National Identity Register; and whether the database will have an interface with the register.

Bridget Prentice: At present there are no plans for the CORE database to link with any other database other than local electoral registers, nor for the data held by CORE to be shared with the National Identity Register. A final decision as to the scope and specification of the CORE project will be made once an analysis of both the business and user requirements has been made. The requirements gathering exercise should be completed by the end of this year.

Enforcement Restriction Orders: Council Tax

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his proposals for enforcement restriction orders will allow householders in financial difficulty to delay payment of council tax payments.

Bridget Prentice: Council tax benefit is available to help those genuinely in need to meet their council tax commitments. A consultation paper 'Administration and Enforcement Restriction Orders: setting the parameters' (CP01/08) was issued on 16 January 2008.
	The consultation paper suggests that council tax should be specifically excluded from an enforcement restriction order. A final decision will be made when we have received and evaluated responses from the consultation.

Fraud: Elections

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what anti-fraud measures will be in place for the  (a) English local elections,  (b) Welsh elections and  (c) Greater London Authority elections in May 2008 to prevent postal voting fraud and electoral registration fraud.

Bridget Prentice: The Electoral Administration Act 2006 introduced a range of new anti-fraud measures that came into force in time for the May 2007 elections and apply to English local elections, Welsh local and Assembly elections and Greater London authority elections held thereafter. They include:
	The introduction of personal identifiers for postal voters, which will help to ensure that postal voting is safe and secure.
	The new offence of falsely applying for a postal or proxy vote.
	Allowing any individual to object to another person's registration details at any time.
	Allowing an electoral registration officer (ERO) to initiate and conduct a review of a person's registration at any time.
	Creating a new criminal offence of supplying false information or failing to supply information to the ERO at any time.
	Giving the police more time to carry out investigations into electoral fraud (they may apply to court to have the normal one year limit for bringing prosecutions increased to two years).

Harassment Act 1997

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2202W, on the Harassment Act 1997, how many prosecutions were brought by  (a) local authorities against individuals and  (b) individuals against local authorities in each year since the Act entered into force.

Maria Eagle: I will respond to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
	 Substantive answer from Maria Eagle to Dan Rogerson:
	If a prosecution is brought by a local authority against an individual or vice versa it falls within the jurisdiction of the civil courts.
	Information on civil proceedings is not held centrally.

Life Imprisonment

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were serving whole life orders at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Hanson: As at 31 December 2007, the number of indeterminate sentence prisoners serving a whole-life tariff was 35.

National Offender Management Service: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff are employed in the National Offender Management Service in Wales; and how many will be employed in the new structures  (a) one month,  (b) six months and  (c) 12 months after the restructuring to be implemented on 1 April.

David Hanson: 2,886 staff are currently employed by the National Offender Management Service in Wales. This number comprises:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Staff employed by Her Majesty's Prison Service 960 
			 Staff employed by Probation Boards 1,351 
			 Staff employed by the Director of Offender Management 17 
			 Staff employed by Group 4 at HMP Parc 558 
		
	
	We are currently consulting on the proposals. We do not expect front line staff numbers in either prison or probation to change as a result of the new structures. It is not possible at this stage to say how many staff will be employed in the office of the Welsh Director of Offender Management either one month, six months, or 12 months after the restructuring has been implemented. It will be for the Director of Offender Management for Wales, supported by NOMS HQ, to determine exactly how the new merged office will be structured.

Offenders: Sentencing

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were granted reductions in sentences for guilty pleas in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Table 2.19 of the Ministry of Justice annual publication 'Sentencing Statistics 2006' shows the number of persons sentenced for indictable offences broken down by plea:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/sentencing-stats2006.pdf
	It is not possible to be certain that all those who plead guilty are granted reductions in their sentences. However, the Sentencing Guidelines Council guidelines on guilty pleas say that a reduction should be considered by the sentencer when a defendant pleads guilty.

Offenders: Sentencing

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders who were given custodial sentences for driving offences served concurrent driving bans as part of their sentence in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Although the court proceedings data held by my Department provide information on the sentencing of individuals for individual offences, including whether they are disqualified from driving as a result of those offences, they do not hold information on whether each person is already banned from driving when sentence is passed.

Offenders: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders who come from Wales are in prison; and how many are the subject of community penalties.

David Hanson: Data for September 2007 show that there were approximately 3,800 male and female prisoners with a home area of Wales in custody in prisons in England and Wales. Where no home address is listed for a prisoner the committal court is used as a proxy address.
	At the end of September 2007 there were 9,286 offenders being supervised by the Probation Service in Wales under all court orders. Information on how many offenders under court order supervision originally came from Wales is not recorded centrally.

Open Prisons: Prisoner Escapes

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many absconds there have been from open prisons since May 1997.

David Hanson: Since 1997 the number of absconds has fallen steadily across most years. In the last two years the number of absconds recorded has been just over half the levels recorded in 1997.
	The information requested is in the following table and shows the number of prisoners absconded from prisons which have, or had in the past, an open or semi-open element. This figure does not include absconds from other types of prison.
	
		
			   Number of absconds( 1) 
			 1995-96 956 
			 1996-97 1,115 
			 1997-98 1,056 
			 1998-99 965 
			 1999-2000 907 
			 2000-01 787 
			 2001-02 782 
			 2002-03 950 
			 2003-04 1,310 
			 2004-05 877 
			 2005-06 709 
			 2006-07 555 
			 2007-08 (to end December) 421 
			 Annualised projection to year-end 561 
			 (1) All prisonsEngland and Wales.

Parole Board

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Parole Board decisions were made in each of the last three years; and what percentage of these were unanimous decisions.

David Hanson: According to the information provided in the Parole Board Annual Reports, the Parole Board reviewed 18,583 cases in 2004-05, 19,402 cases in 2005-06 and 25,436 cases in 2006-07. The Parole Board does not record whether decisions are unanimous and therefore this information is not available.

Plastic Bags

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many branded plastic bags his Department and its agencies have purchased since his Department was created; and at what cost;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 171W, on procurement, how many plastic bags have been procured by the division of his Department responsible for communications and marketing; and at what cost.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice, the National Offender Management Service and the Prison Service do not procure promotional bags under the departmental supplies contracts.
	In past years, there have been isolated projects where promotional material has been produced. The following table shows how the number and costs of branded plastic bags the communications and marketing department has procured in each area and agency of the Ministry of Justice since its creation on 9 May 2007.
	
		
			   Number of bags purchased  Total cost of purchase () 
			 Ministry of Justice Headquarters 0 0 
			 Public Guardianship Office 10,000 1,300 
			 Office of Criminal Justice Reform 35,000 promotional bio-degradable carrier bags 3,325 
			 National Offender Management Service 2,000 921 
			 Probation Service 10,000 1,500 
			 Her Majesty's Court Service 5,500 promotional carrier bags 489.50 
		
	
	A sustainability board has been established and is reviewing current arrangements.

Prisoner Escapes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) escapes and  (b) unapproved absences there were from prisons in England in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The number of escapes and incidents of unapproved absences over the last five years from prisons in England is shown in the following table. The figures shown for prisoners breaching the terms of their temporary release licence may include prisoners whose breach of licence conditions has not been considered serious enough to recall them. While the latter are not unapproved absences it is not possible to distinguish this type of licence breach without examining every incident report which would incur disproportionate cost.
	Data on escapes, absconds and temporary release licence failures are published for all prisons at the following link:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/abouttheservice/prisonperformance/performancestatistics/
	
		
			  Number of escapes and incidents of unapproved absences over the last five years from prisons in England 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Escapes prisons 4 9 12 3 2 
			 Escapes prison escorts 12 6 8 8 6 
			 Escapes prison escort contractors(1) 33 33 28 17 19 
			 Absconds(2) 942 1,275 858 700 546 
			 (1) Figures for escapes from Prison Escort Contractors include the four Welsh prisons that are not run as a separate contract and cannot be disaggregated from the overall totals. (2) Absconds are instances where a prisoner absents himself from prison custody without lawful authority and without overcoming physical security restraints usually from open prisons.

Prisoners Release

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released on end of custody licenses were recalled for being out of touch with their supervising probation officer in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The end of custody licence was introduced on 29 June 2007. Eligible prisoners serving between four weeks and four years may be released under licence from prison up to up to 18 days before their automatic release date.
	The total number of releases by offence group, sentence length, age, gender, ethnicity and prison establishment, and recalls notified to NOMS, have been published on the Ministry of Justice website for the first week of the scheme, the remainder of July, and every subsequent month since then.
	The monthly published figures can be found on separate links under the following main link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	Data on releases up to the end of December 2007 have recently been published and the schedule for further publications can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/moj-stats-schedule.pdf
	There were 233 decisions to recall prisoners released on end of custody licence between 29 June and the end of December 2007, for the reason of being out of touch with the probation service, equivalent to 1.4 per cent. of all releases under ECL in the same period.
	Offenders can be recalled for more than one reason.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners Release

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were released on end of custody licences in each month since July 2007; and how many of those have been taken back into custody for offending during the period of their licence.

David Hanson: The end of custody licence was introduced on 29 June 2007. Eligible prisoners serving between four weeks and four years may be released under licence from prison up to up to 18 days before their automatic release date.
	The total number of releases by offence group, sentence length, age, gender, ethnicity and prison establishment, and recalls notified to NOMS, have been published on the Ministry of Justice website for the first week of the scheme, the remainder of July, and every subsequent month since then.
	The monthly published figures can be found on separate links under the following main link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	Data on releases up to the end of December 2007 will be published at the end of January 2008 according to the schedule of MoJ statistical publications (http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/moj-stats-schedule.pdf)
	Figures for the numbers of prisoners released on end of custody licence between 29 June and the end of November 2007, the last date for statistics are currently available, can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Releases on end of custody licence, 29 June to November 2007 
			  Releases Recalls for alleged reoffending 
			 29 June to 5 July 1,701 6 
			 6 July to 31 July 2,131 35 
			 August 2,493 30 
			 September 2,195 13 
			 October 2,612 34 
			 November 2,610 38 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Bail Hostels

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  for what reasons he is considering accommodating prisoners in bail hostels; what types of prisoners he is considering for that accommodation; and in what locations;
	(2)  what consultations he plans to hold with police and local authorities before housing rented for asylum seekers is used as bail hostels;
	(3)  what plans he has to establish further bail houses in North East Lincolnshire; what category of prisoner each will accommodate; and what capacity each will have.

David Hanson: I understand these questions to refer to the Bail Accommodation and Support Service. These are not bail hostels. The service provides accommodation in flats and houses with up to five people sharing, and support to users.
	We are providing this service because we consider that prison should be reserved for those who need to be held in custody in order to protect the public. Those defendants, innocent until proven guilty, who can be bailed should be so. Judges and magistrates have consistently asked that we provide more bail accommodation because there are numbers of defendants without accommodation whom the courts consider can be bailed if such accommodation, with necessary support, is made available. Similarly there are prisoners eligible for release on home detention curfew, with a tag, who cannot be released because they do not have an address at which they can be curfewed. The service enables prison governors to make decisions to release such people. It is not in the public interest to keep in prison people who do not need to be there.
	The service is available for defendants whom the courts have assessed as suitable for bail, and for sentenced prisoners released on home detention curfew after a thorough risk assessment by the prison governor. Excluded from the service are those convicted of or charged with sex offences, those convicted of arson in the last 10 years or charged with arson and those who pose a significant risk to the public or to ClearSprings staff or to others in a shared house.
	A list of towns or areas where accommodation is currently provided or is being sought was included in my written answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1655W).
	12 ClearSprings properties now used for the Bail Accommodation and Support Service were used previously for the ClearSprings asylum contract. The local authorities and police were consulted as to suitability, and were advised when the premises were made available for BASS.
	There is currently one four-bed property in Grimsby. This was not previously used for asylum seekers. A three-bed property is being sought in Scunthorpe. This requirement has been identified by the regional offender manager in discussion with probation and taking account of the volume of defendants through the courts.

Prisoners: Personal Records

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that medical, educational and other records follow prisoners immediately on transfer from one prison to another; and what the average length of time has been for a prisoner's records to be received by the prison of destination following transfer over the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: The Discharge Prison Service Order sets out documents which must travel with a prisoner's escorting officer and these include; the prisoner's inmate core record, the custodial documents file and the prisoner's clinical record. The principle is that the transfer of documents is immediate.
	In cases where a prisoner arrives at a new establishment without all the necessary documentation the reception staff would notify the appropriate department within the releasing prison, who will then forward that information.
	The Prison Service Order Continuity of Healthcare for Prisoners (PSO 3050), contains guidance to improve the continuity of care received when a prisoner is transferred from one establishment to another, as well as at reception and on discharge. The prison clinical record is designed to be clear and legible, to identify medical history and pathways of care, and to improve communication between clinicians.
	The Learning and Skills Council is currently developing its Learner Summary Record Database which will, for the first time, provide a central store of learner information that can be accessed by education providers delivering learning and skills in prisons irrespective of where the offender is serving their sentence. The development of the database and indeed the operation of it are designed to minimise the period of discontinuity in an individual offender's agreed learning programme if they are moved during their sentence period.

Prisons: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the effect on costs of the merger of the offices of the Regional Offender Manager and the Area Prison Manager in Wales is estimated to be.

David Hanson: We are restructuring to achieve more with less resource at the regional tiers, and because we want a higher proportion of available resources to be spent on direct service delivery. The cost of the reorganisation will be contained within existing budgets. We are not yet in a position to say what the exact effect on costs in Wales will be, but we anticipate that there will be some efficiency-savings created from the removal of duplicated processes in areas such as planning, resource allocation and performance management.

Probation: Reorganisation

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the effect on costs of the Probation Service in Wales of the structural changes to be implemented on 1 April.

David Hanson: We do not anticipate that there will be any adverse effect on costs for Probation Boards or Probation Trusts in Wales as a result of the structural changes to be implemented on 1 April. The phased transition from probation boards to probation trusts will continue, with the SLAs and contracts being held by the Director of Offender Management.

Probation: Reorganisation

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to make available adequate resources for the Probation Service in Wales to implement the structural changes on 1 April.

David Hanson: We do not anticipate any adverse resource implications for the Probation Service in Wales as a result of the structural changes taking place on 1 April. The phased transition from probation boards to probation trusts will continue, with the SLAs and contracts being held by the Director of Offender Management.

Procurement

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 171W, on procurement, if he will list each division in his Department.

Maria Eagle: Divisions within the Ministry of Justice' Headquarters and it's agencies as at 31 December 2007 are in the following tables. The Prison Service is a next steps agency and as such does not have divisions.
	 Ministry of Justice' Headquarters Divisions
	CFO Operations
	Commercial Group
	Communications Dir
	Constitutional Directorate
	Corporate Management Directorate
	DG Administration
	Disc Transition
	Effective Trial Management Programme
	Equality and Diversity Unit
	Facilities Management
	Finance and Control
	DIV-HMICA
	HR Business Partner
	HR Corporate Policy
	HR People Services
	HR Specialist Services
	I and B Operations
	IT Business Partners
	Judicial Policy Dir
	Judicial Appointments Commission
	Judicial Delivery Directorate
	Judicial Group
	Judicial Office of England and Wales
	Judicial Studies Board
	Legal Aid Strategy Directorate
	Legal Directorate
	Legal Services Directorate
	OSPT Operations
	Private Office and Central Strategic Unit
	Projects and Programme
	Resources
	Service and Supplier Man
	Strategy and Compliance
	Strategy Directorate
	Supreme Court Implementation Team
	 Ministry of Justices' Agencies: H er M ajesty's Courts Service Divisions
	Cust Serv and Comms
	Accounts Collection Back Office
	Area Enforcement Office
	Avon and Somerset
	Avon and Somerset Crn
	Avon and Somerset Cty
	Avon and Somerset Mag
	Bedfordshire
	Bedfordshire Crn
	Bedfordshire Cty
	Bedfordshire Mag
	Black Country, Staffs and West Mercia Area Office
	Black Country, Staffs and West Mercia Crn
	Black Country, Staffs and West Mercia Cty
	Black Country, Staffs and West Mercia Nag
	Cambridgeshire Com
	Cambridgeshire Crn
	Cambridgeshire Cty
	Cambridgeshire Mag
	Central and South London Area Office
	Central and South London Crn
	Central and South London Mag
	DIV-Cheshire
	Cheshire and Merseyside Area Office
	Cheshire Com
	Cheshire Crn
	Cheshire Cty
	Cheshire Mag
	Civil and Fam Civil Just
	Civil and Fam Cust Serv
	Civil and Fam Family Just
	Civil and Fam Plan and Prog
	Civil and Family London Area Office
	Civil and Family London Cty
	Civil and Family London Family Court Centres
	Civil Appeals Office
	Civil Justice Council
	Cleveland
	Cleveland Crn
	Cleveland Cty
	Cleveland Mag
	Community Justice
	Criminal Justice Delivery
	Crime Support Regional Office London
	Cumbria Area Office
	Cumbria Crn
	Cumbria Cty
	Cumbria Mag
	Devon and Cornwall
	Devon and Cornwall Crn
	Devon and Cornwall Cty
	Devon and Cornwall Mag
	Director of Perf
	Dorset
	Dorset Crn
	Dorset Cty
	Dorset Mag
	Durham
	Durham Crn
	Durham Cty
	Durham Mag
	Enforcement Prog
	Essex
	Essex Crn
	Essex Cty
	Essex Mag
	Family
	Family Justice Council
	Finance Support Regional Office London
	Gloucestershire
	Gloucestershire Crn
	Gloucestershire Cty
	Gloucestershire Mag
	Greater Manchester Cty
	Gtr Manchester
	Gtr Manchester Crn
	Gtr Manchester Mag
	Hampshire and IOW
	Hampshire and IOWCrn
	Hampshire and IOW Cty
	Hampshire and IOW Mag
	Hertfordshire
	Hertfordshire Crn
	Hertfordshire Cty
	Hertfordshire Mag
	High Court Group HMCS CEO
	HMCS Change Programme
	HMCS Estates HQ
	Humberside
	Humberside Crn
	Humberside Cty
	Humberside Mag
	Kent
	Kent Crn
	Kent Cty
	Kent Mag
	Lancashire
	Lancashire Crn
	Lancashire Cty
	Lancashire Mag
	Law Commission
	Leics, Lincs and Northamptonshire Office
	Leics, Lincs and Northamptonshire Crn
	Leics, Lincs and Northamptonshire Cty
	Leics, Lines and Northamptonshire Mag
	Merseyside Crn
	Merseyside Cty
	Merseyside Mag
	Mid and West Wales Area Office
	Mid and West Wales Crn
	Mid and West Wales Cty
	Mid and West Wales Mag
	Midlands Confiscation Teams
	Midlands Enforcement Teams
	Midlands Enforcements - Director's Office
	Midlands Fixed Penalty Office
	Midlands Netting-off Teams
	Midlands Reg Office
	Midlands SCP Teams
	Mids Jud Lodgings
	MIS Perf Div
	National Taxing Teams
	NE Jud Lodgings
	Norfolk
	Norfolk Crn
	Norfolk Cty
	Norfolk Mag
	North and West London Area Office
	North and West London Crn
	North and West London Mag
	North East Reg Office
	North Wales Area Office
	North Wales Crn
	North Wales Cty
	North Wales Mag
	North West Reg Office
	North Yorkshire
	North Yorkshire Crn
	North Yorkshire Cty
	North Yorkshire Mag
	Northumbria
	Northumbria Crn
	Northumbria Cty
	Northumbria Mag
	Notts and Derbyshire Area Office
	Notts and Derbyshire Crn
	Notts and Derbyshire Cty
	Notts and Derbyshire Mag
	NW Jud Lodgings
	Office Judge Advocate Gen
	Pert Imp Div
	Probate
	RCJ Civil
	RCJ Crown
	Regional Office London
	Resources Core Activities
	Resources Project Activities
	SE Jud Lodgings
	SE Reg Office
	South East Wales Area Office
	South East Wales Crn
	South East Wales Cty
	South East Wales Mag
	South Yorkshire
	South Yorkshire Crn
	South Yorkshire Cty
	South Yorkshire Mag
	Strategy and Business Support
	Regional Office London
	Suffolk
	Suffolk Com
	Suffolk Crn
	Suffolk Cty
	DIV-Suffolk Mag
	Supreme Court Office
	Surrey
	Surrey Crn
	Surrey Cty
	Surrey Mag
	Sussex
	Sussex Crn
	Sussex Cty
	Sussex Family
	Sussex Mag
	SW Jud Lodgings
	SW Reg Office
	Thames Valley
	Thames Valley Crn
	Thames Valley Cty
	Thames Valley Mag
	W and C Jud Lodgings
	Wales Regional Office
	Warks and West Midlands Area Office
	Warks and West Midlands Crn
	Warks and West Midlands Cty
	Warks and West Midlands Mag
	West Yorkshire
	West Yorkshire Crn
	West Yorkshire Cty
	West Yorkshire Mag
	Wiltshire
	Wiltshire Crn
	Wiltshire Cty
	Wiltshire Mag
	 Ministry o f Justices' Agencies : Office of the Public Guardian Divisions
	OPG Applications and Processing
	OPG Contact Centre
	OPG Court
	OPG Finance and Resources
	OPG Performance and Change
	OPG Supervision
	 Ministry Of Justices' Agencies Scotland Office and Offices of Advocate General Divisions
	Scotland Office
	 Ministry Of Justices' Agencies Wales Office Divisions
	Wales Office
	 Ministry o f Justices' Agencies Tribunals Service Divisions
	AIT Ldn Central Hearing Centres
	AIT Ldn Mid and West Hearing Centres
	AIT Ops Support Centres
	AIT Scot and North Hearing Centres
	AIT Support Function
	AS Birmingham Business Devel
	AS Birmingham Region
	AS Cardiff Region AS Flowers Hill Finance
	AS Fox Court Business Devel
	AS Glasgow Region
	AS Leeds Region
	AS Liverpool Region
	AS Management
	AS Newcastle Region
	AS Nottingham Region
	AS Sutton Region
	Asylum Support Adjudicators
	Care Standards
	Deputy CE and design authority
	EAT
	ETS London and SE
	ETS North, Wales and Scotland
	ETS Support Services
	ETS SW, Yorks and Mids
	Gambling Appeals Trib
	Gen Comms of Income Tax
	HQ Operations AS
	TG Criminal Injuries Tribs
	TG Leicester Tribs
	TG London Tribs
	TG Mental Health Tribs
	TG SEN and Disability Tribs
	TG Tribunals Accom
	Tribs Group Management
	DIV-TS CEO and Seer
	TS Customer Strategy
	TS Customer Strategy and Communications
	TS Development and Legislation
	TS Estates
	TS Finance and Resources
	TS Performance and Planning
	TS Prog and Projects Office
	TS Snr Pres and Seer
	 Ministry Of Justices' Agencies National Offender Management Service Divisions
	Altcourse Controllers Office - 0160  613001
	Ashfield Controllers Office - 0160  613002
	Assisted Prison Visits - 0160  605301
	Associated Environment - 0164  671112
	Basic Skills-0164-671211
	Bronzefield Controllers Office - 0160 - 613003
	Business Development Unit  0164 -653000
	C NOMIS Management and Support - 0160  604601
	Chaplaincy (HO) - 0160-607100
	Comm and Comps Unit - 0160  612000
	Comm and Cont Prog Unit - 0160  603500
	Community Integration - 0160  605200
	Community Integration - 0160  605200
	Community Reintegration - 0164 - 671212
	Correctional Services Bill Team - 0160 - 601400
	Criminal Justice Bill Team - 0160  601800
	Criminal Law Policy Unit - 0160  601600
	Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorders - 0160 1605000
	Director of Probation's Office - 0164  650000
	Directors Office NOMS Finance - 0160  610000
	Directors Office NOMS Policy - 0160  601200
	Directors Office NOMS Strategy - 0160  602400
	Directors Office OIS - 0160  604200
	Diversity - 0164-674400
	Doncaster Controllers Office - 0160  613004
	Dovegate Controllers Office - 0160  613005
	Drugs and Alcohol - 0164  671320
	DSU Drug Treat and Alcohol - 0160 - 607902
	DSU Planning and Min Brief - 0160 - 607901
	DSU Strat Dev and OGD Liaison - 0160 - 607900
	DSU Supply Reduction - 0160 - 607903
	Electronic Monitoring Team - 0164 - 671410
	Enhanced Community Punishment - 0164 - 671210
	EPDU Head of Unit - 0160  603300
	EPDU Pop Man Unit - 0160  603303
	EPDU Programme Planning - 0160  603305
	EPDU Strategic Planning - 0160  603302
	Forest Bank Controllers Office - 0160  613006
	HMI Probation - 0160  615000
	HR Management - 0164  651401
	HR Management - 0164  663200
	Independent Monitoring Board - 0160  606000
	Intensive Supervision and Monitoring - 0164  671310
	Lifer Review and Recall - 0160  605402
	Lowdham Grange Controllers Office -0160 -613007
	Management Information Team - 0164  674200
	Manchester Monitors Office - 0160  613012
	MAPPA Section - 0160  605404
	Mental Health Unit - 0160  608000
	Mubarek Inquiry Team (HO) - 0160  602900
	Network Support Section - 0164  673400
	New Services - 0160  604500
	NOM OASys - 0160  607200
	NOMS Chief Executive - 0160  600000
	NOMS Programme Office - 0160  601100
	NOMS Property Unit - 0160  603400
	OASys - 0164-672200
	OASYS (HO)-0160-604603
	Off of Chief Psychologist-0160-608300
	Offender Management Team - 0160 605100
	Offender Management Team -0164-654000
	Offender Policy and Rights - 0160 - 601300
	Offending Behaviour Programmes - 0164 - 671140
	Office of Contracted Prisons-0160-613000
	OMNI-0160-604604
	Open Government and Relocation Unit - 0160 - 603100
	Parc Controllers Office - 0160 - 613008
	PECS Crown House - 0160 - 603307
	PECS Crown House - 0160  603307
	Phoenix (HO)  0160 - 604600
	Planning and Finance Unit - 0160 - 603200
	Prisoner Administration Group (NOM) (HO) - 0160 - 605900
	Prisons and Probation Ombudsman-0160-616000
	Probation ICT - 0160 - 604700
	Programmes-0160- 604400
	Prospects- 0164-666100
	Protected Witness Section -0160-605406
	Public Protection Team - 0160-605403
	Public Protection Team -0164 - 6731100
	Quality and Deliveries Team  0164 - 674300
	R and E: Comm Integration - 0160 - 602507
	R and E: Courts and Sentencing - 0160 - 602510
	R and E: Pub Eng and Drugs  0160 602506
	RDS NOMS Assistant Dir - 0160 - 602500
	Rebalancing Sentences - 0160 - 601500
	Regional Management Team 0164 - 674100
	Release and Recall - 0160 - 605401
	Research and Eval Prog Dir - 0160 - 602505
	Risk of Harm Section - 01 60 - 605405
	ROM East Midlands - 0160 - 618600
	ROM East of England 0160 - 618900
	ROM London  0160 - 618000
	ROM North East-0160-618300
	ROM North West - 0160 - 618500
	ROM South East - 0160 - 618100
	South West - 0160 - 618800
	ROM Wales-0160-618200
	ROM West Midlands -0160 -618700
	ROM Yorks and Humb 0160-618400
	Rye Hill Controllers Office 0160 - 613010
	S and A: Offender Management  0160 - 613010
	Security Group (NOM) (HO)  0160 - 613010
	Senior Managers - 0160 - 614000
	Sentencing Guidelines Council (incl. SAP)  0160 - 609001
	Sentencing Policy and Penalties Unit - p160 - 609000
	(Service Management - 0160 -604300
	Standards Unit-0160-602700
	Stats and Analysis Prog Dir - 0160  602501
	The Wolds Controllers Office-0160-613011
	Voluntary Sector Unit-0160 - 605300
	WPTRS-0160-601700
	Youth Justice and Children - 0160 - 607000
	 Ministry of Justices' Agencies Office of Criminal Justice Reform Divisions
	CJIT CJS Exchange Portal r2b Framework - 0115 -1115008
	CJIT CJS Exchange Xhibit Portal r2a - 0115 -115001
	ICJIT Deployment- 0115 -115017
	CJIT ExISS-0115-115004
	CJIT PMO-0115-115020
	ICJITPMO-0115-120000
	JCIT Portal and Progress - 0115 -115006
	ICJIT Portfolio and Director- 0115 -119001
	CJIT Procurement - 0115 -120005
	CJIT Programme -0115-115000
	CJIT Programme B - 0115 -115019
	JCJIT Secretariat-0115-120002
	JCJIT Service Delivery - 0115 -116001
	CJIT Technology - 0115 -117001
	OCJR - Better Trials - 0110 -102007
	OCJR - Chief Executive - 0110 -100000
	OCJR - Communications - 0110 -103006
	OCJR - Community Justice Centres - 0110 -102004
	OCJR - Director - SP - 0110-101000
	OCJR-Director - DC - 0110 -103000
	OCJR - Director-PP-0110-102000
	OCJR  Evidence and Analysis  0110 - 101005
	OCJR Local Performance - 0110-103003
	OCJR-PDU DCA - 0110 -103005
	OCJR  Portfolio and Govern  0110 101003
	OCJR-Project Delivery - 0110 -103001
	CJR-Race Conf and Justice  0110 - 102003
	OCJR-Strategy and Resource  0110 - 101001
	OCJR-Victims and Witnesses - 0110 -102001

Regulation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for which regulators and inspectorates his Department has had responsibility in each year since 1997; what the budget was of each such body in each year; and what the cost to the public purse was of any restructuring of each such body in each year.

Maria Eagle: Since the creation of the Ministry of Justice in May 2007, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has had responsibility for the following regulators and inspectorates and their respective budgets received to date for 2007-08 are as follows:
	 Regulators
	Claims Management Regulationfunded through collection of regulatory fees.
	Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner0.1 million.
	Office of the Information Commissioner5.0 million net (grant in aid) after setting off notification fees collected under the Data Protection Act 1998 against expenditure on Data Protection functions as Data Protection activities are self funded through collection of the fee which is forecast to be 10.5 million.
	 Inspectorates
	
		
			million 
			 HMI Prisons 3.2 
			 HMI Probation 3.5 
			 HMI Court Administration 1.9 
		
	
	There has been no restructuring in these regulators or inspectorates since the formation of MOJ.
	Details of regulators and inspectorates and their respective budgets prior to the formation of MOJ are as follows:
	 Regulators
	The Claims Management Regulator was established in 2006-07 and was the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs prior to MOJ. The costs of setting up the regulator was 0.8 million and the estimated cost of regulation in 2007-08 is expected to be 1.7 million. The regulation fee income is expected to cover the regulatory costs in 2007-08. No restructuring has taken place since the formation of the Claims Management regime.
	Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner (OLSCC) was established in 2004 and was the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs prior to MOJ. In 2004-05, the Law Society provided to the DCA 0.8 million to meet the cost of setting up the OLSCC. In subsequent years, DCA has provided the budget to OLSCC and this was 0.05 million in 2005-06 and 0.1 million in 2006-07. No restructuring has taken place since the formation of the OLSCC.
	From 1997 to June 2001, the Home Office sponsored the Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO). Following Machinery of Government changes in June 2001, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs sponsored the ICO. Budget details for ICO since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			   million 
			  Financial year  Grant in aid received  Retained fee income  Total budget 
			 1997-98 3.7  3.7 
			 1998-99 4.2  4.2 
			 1999-2000 4.7  4.7 
			 2000-01 5.3  5.3 
			 2001-02 9.2  9.2 
			 2002-03 11.6  11.6 
			 2003-04 11.2  11.2 
			 2004-05 12.5  12.5 
			 2005-06 5.1 9.4 14.5 
			 2006-07 5.6 10.2 15.8 
		
	
	For 2005-06 to date, the grant in aid received only covers the Commissioner's Freedom of Information responsibilities. The Commissioner's data protection work is currently funded by notification fees, which the ICO retains with the agreement of HM Treasury.
	No restructuring has taken place since the formation of the ICO.
	 Inspectorates
	Prior to the formation of MOJ in May 2007, HMI Prisons and HMI Probation were the responsibility of the Home Secretary.
	Since April 2005, HMI Court Administration (HMICA) was the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs prior to MOJ. Prior to this, HMICA's predecessor, the Magistrates Courts Service Inspectorate, was the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor. Budget details since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total budget ( million) 
			 1997-98 1.5 
			 1998-99 1.4 
			 1999-2000 1.4 
			 2000-01 1.6 
			 2001-02 1.7 
			 2002-03 1.9 
			 2003-04 2.1 
			 2004-05 2.0 
			 2005-06 2.6 
			 2006-07 2.4 
		
	
	Following Machinery of Government changes in April 2007, the CAFCASS Inspection team and a budget allocation of 0.485 million transferred from HMICA to Ofsted. The costs of restructuring HMICA as a result of this transfer were met from existing resources. There has not been any other restructuring within HMICA since its formation in April 2005.

Thorn Cross Young Offenders Institute

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures have been taken at Thorn Cross young offenders institute to focus inmates on  (a) addressing offending behaviour,  (b) developing self discipline,  (c) contributing positively to the community and  (d) developing vocational skills among (i) juvenile inmates and (ii) inmates above the age of 18.

David Hanson: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) In addressing offending behaviour Thorn Cross offers a number of offending behaviour courses for young adults, including Enhanced Thinking Skills and the Short Duration Drugs Programme.
	 (b) In developing self discipline Thorn Cross takes a structured approach to ensure good behaviour. Bad behaviour is minimal, and emphasis is given to taking individual responsibility. Credit is given to those demonstrating a responsible approach.
	 (c) In contributing positively to the community, there is significant investment at Thorn Cross. Offenders are engaged positively as part of a restorative justice approach. There is opportunity for involvement in various projects including work with the Warrington Disability Partnership, helping out with local groups as well as hosting an annual event for the WDP.
	 (d) To develop their vocational skills young people and young adults are given equal opportunity to better their life chances through participating in a full-time education and training programme. This allows them to address literacy, numeracy and life skills while also developing new vocational skills such as construction crafts (plastering, plumbing, painting and decorating and bricklaying). There are also opportunities for to train in motor mechanics, horticulture and catering.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many under 18 year old  (a) remand and  (b) detention and training order prisoners there were in each week since 26 January 2007.

David Hanson: Figures for the numbers of  (a) remands and  (b) detention and training order prisoners held in all prison establishments in England and Wales can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  2007  Remands  Detention and training orders 
			 January 622 1,713 
			 February 588 1,752 
			 March 579 1,757 
			 April 586 1,745 
			 May 585 1,791 
			 June 588 1,850 
			 July 584 1,950 
			 August 557 1,992 
			 September 594 1,988 
			 October 599 1,949 
			 November 609 1,876 
			  Note: December figures not yet available, all figures as at end of month 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.